ENVISIONING
NEEDHAM
STREET
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN | 2010
ENVISIONING
NEEDHAM
STREET
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN | 2010
11.360 community growth and land use planning practicum
Authors
Andrew Austin
Timothy Bates
Andrea Christenson
Holly Durso
Samantha Earl
Caroline Edwards
Christopher Grillo
Andrea Pavia
Travis Sheehan
Book Production
Travis Sheehan
Advisors
Professor Terry Szold
Annis Whitlow Sengupta
Prepared for the City of Newton, Massachusetts
Mayor Setti D. Warren
Candace Havens, Interim Director of Planning and Development
Amanda Stout, Senior Economic Development Planner
© 2010 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Department of Urban Studies and Planning
School of Architecture + Planning
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA
Table of Contents
1
Executive Summary
7
Introduction
11
Characterizing Needham Street
29
Community and Planning Context
41
Vision for Needham Street
43
•
Objective 1: Promote Fine-Grain Mixed-Use
Development
47
•
Objective 2: Create a More Cohesive and Attractive
Physical Environment
53
•
Objective 3: Create a Safe, Comfortable, and Efficient
Streetscape
64
•
Objective 4: Connect Site to Surrounding Ecological
System and Open Space Network
72
•
Objective 5: Promote Connections among Parcels and
with Neighborhoods
75
Catalyst Sites
77
•
Northern Catalyst
84
•
Southern Catalyst
92
Summary of Recommendations
97
Implementation
106
Acknowledgements
108
References
vii
executive summary
Envisioning Needham Street outlines a vision, objectives,
and key recommendations for the future of the
Needham Street corridor in Newton, Massachusetts.
Above: The Seal of the City of Newton, MA
The plan was developed by graduate students in the
Community Growth and Land Use Planning course
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
The City of Newton’s Department of Planning and
Development engaged the MIT class to envision
redevelopment along the Needham Street corridor
and recommend implementation strategies to make
the plan a reality. This project is an outgrowth of
the 2007 Newton Comprehensive Plan, which
identified Needham Street as the city’s most promising
location for commercial and residential growth but
acknowledged the lack of a vision for the future of the
corridor.
The vision for Needham Street described in this plan
was developed after thorough analysis of the local and
regional context, existing site conditions, stakeholder
input, and Comprehensive Plan and economic
development goals for the Needham Street corridor.
Proposed Vision
In support of the goals set forth in the Comprehensive
Plan, this plan encourages the City to build on the
Needham Street corridor’s assets by making a set
of incremental changes to improve the pedestrian
experience, aesthetics, connectivity, and function
of the ecological system, creating a vibrant, livable,
mixed-use gateway to Newton.
executive summary
1
Two Zones, Five Objectives
The Needham Street corridor today exhibits two zones with distinct
scales of development and physical characteristics. This plan
recommends that the corridor’s zoning be realigned with these two
districts and that physical improvements be made throughout the
corridor to express the proposed vision. Proposed improvements fall
under the following five objectives:
Objective 1: Promote fine-grain mixed-use
development
The Needham Street corridor should continue to accommodate
industrial, office, retail, and residential uses and should incorporate
vertical mixed-use developments. Multi-family residential uses should
be allowed by right throughout the corridor, as they will bring character
and vitality to the area. Commercial uses should remain a primary
feature of Needham Street; additional commercial development should
be encouraged, augmenting income, employment, and commercial real
estate tax bases. Other recommendations include amended floor-area
ratio (FAR) and dimensional requirements to promote fine-grain mixed
use and a streamlined development review process to facilitate new
investment along the corridor.
Objective 2: Create a more cohesive and
attractive physical environment
Several actions are recommended to help create an identity for Needham
Street, promote cohesive design, and enhance the aesthetics of the built
environment along the corridor. Zoning modifications can help create
a more uniform street edge, manage the amount of parking provided,
minimize parking lots that abut the street, and require incorporation of
public spaces in large developments. The plan also recommends adding
additional form-based regulations and creating design guidelines to
improve the quality of the corridor’s built environment.
2
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
Objective 3: Create a safe, comfortable, and
efficient streetscape
Given Needham Street’s significant vehicular traffic flows, it is important
both to improve multimodal access and to maintain traffic flow. Key
interventions include streetscape improvements to better accommodate
bicycles and pedestrians, new access roads to relieve some of the
corridor’s vehicular traffic, and the addition of gateways to Needham
Street at the Winchester Street and Dedham Street intersection and the
Tower Road and Industrial Place intersection.
Objective 4: Connect site to surrounding
ecological system and open space network
This objective aims to incorporate Newton’s overall landscape and
ecological priorities and tie Needham Street into the regional open
space network. Specific recommendations include integrating water
remediation strategies into the streetscape and open spaces, and
converting the abandoned rail right-of-way into a green corridor for
pedestrian and bicycle circulation while maintaining flexibility for a
potential Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green
Line extension.
Objective 5: Promote connections among
parcels and with neighborhoods
Several interventions are recommended to improve the connectivity of
the Needham Street corridor and to better integrate the street with the
surrounding neighborhoods. Recommendations include new pedestrian
and bicycle connections to Upper Falls through the abandoned rail rightof-way; new vehicular connections to Route 9, Route 128, and points
northward; and improved vehicular connections among sites within the
corridor. Additionally, land uses and the scale of the built environment
along corridor edges should be complementary with the existing
surrounding neighborhoods.
executive summary
3
Catalyst Sites
Implementation
The plan includes concepts for two key areas along the Needham Street
corridor to illustrate the new vision for Needham Street and to provide
inspiration for future developments.
The plan concludes with several strategies to support the implementation
of the recommendations. Zoning incentives can be an effective way
to encourage developers and property owners to incorporate desired
elements. The plan recommends density bonuses for actions such as
mixed-use developments, shared parking lots, reduced curb cuts, and
reduced peak hour trips. Public-private partnerships are another strategy
that can help implement streetscape, transportation, and aesthetic
improvements, such as undergrounding utility wires. The plan also
summarizes a number of financing strategies for implementing the
recommendations, with a focus on financing local transit options and
undergrounding wires.
Northern SITE: This scenario re-envisions several blocks located
adjacent to the Avalon Bay apartment complex and the Newton
Technology Park office complex. It features smaller-scale commercial
buildings that front the street and have shared parking lots to the side
and in the middle of the block, as well as residential townhouses that
address the neighborhood to the east. It provides improved pedestrian
infrastructure, a connection to the abandoned rail right-of-way and
Upper Falls, and a central civic space.
Southern SITE: This scenario re-envisions several parcels adjacent
to The Mill at the Charles and the rail right-of-way. It proposes a phased
transition from overly generous parking lots and existing industrial
and commercial buildings to a mixed-use commercial and residential
development with two civic open spaces, internal circulation, a water
remediation strategy, and connections to the rail right-of-way and
surrounding neighborhood. The scenario allows for larger building
footprints as compared to the northern site, but will promote increased
design coherence and development intensity, as well as greater sensitivity
toward the Upper Falls neighborhood.
4
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
Envisioning Needham Street provides a vision for an improved Needham
Street and a road map to achieving that vision. With the foundation
provided by this plan, the City of Newton can guide development along
Needham Street in a way that fulfills the goals of the Comprehensive Plan
while enhancing the function and character of the corridor.
executive summary
5
N
1
introduction
This report was developed by a group of nine
graduate students in the Department of Urban
Studies and Planning at MIT, as part of the
semester-long Community Growth and Land
Use Planning course taught by Professor Terry
Szold and Annis Whitlow Sengupta.
The City of Newton’s Department of Planning and
Development engaged the class to propose a new
vision for the Needham Street corridor that will guide
the future development of this unique part of Newton.
The City also asked the class to propose various
implementation recommendations that will make
the plan a reality, and to identify financing strategies
to ensure that the recommendations are feasible.
This project is an outgrowth of the 2007 Newton
Comprehensive Plan, which identified Needham
Street as the city’s most promising location for
commercial and residential growth but acknowledged
the lack of a vision for the future of the corridor.
Needham Street is a major opportunity for all of
Newton. As both an arterial road and a regional
shopping area, the corridor acts as a natural magnet
that draws people to the city. Unfortunately, these
two roles are sometimes at odds with one another,
as Needham Street struggles to serve as both a
thoroughfare and a commercial destination. Along
with this dilemma, Needham Street also suffers from
noticeably antiquated infrastructure: crumbling and
incomplete sidewalks, a lack of bike lanes, vehicular
traffic at or near its capacity, poor circulation
management, and a tangled mess of overhead wires.
In addition, parking dominates the streetscape, there
is a lack of public space, and building designs and
configurations do little to help make the street more
inviting.
6
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
Opposite:
(Above) Map of
Massachusetts, City
of Newton in red;
(Below) Satellite image
of southwest Boston,
City of Newton in
white and Needham
Street corridor in red
introduction
7
•
Can the street support the traffic increases generated by proposed
interventions and development projects?
From top to bottom:
In order to offer appropriate solutions to a complex set of issues, the team
began the planning process by collecting background information on
Needham Street’s past and present. The team made multiple site visits,
developed a detailed zoning diagnostic, examined historical documents,
conducted traffic counts, studied local and regional economic trends,
generated and analyzed an array of maps, researched regional ecological
systems, characterized and analyzed the existing built form, and explored
adjacent neighborhoods. Past planning proposals for Needham Street
were also referenced to gain a sense of the corridor’s lengthy planning
context.
Satellite image of Needham Street corridor
The street nevertheless holds great promise for becoming a more
attractive and efficient destination. With a more diverse mix of uses,
some traffic management and streetscape improvements, and increased
attention to site design, Needham Street has the potential to become a
dynamic place with a coherent identity of its own. It can transform into a
vibrant gateway to the city that will encourage people to live, work, shop,
and enjoy civic interaction along the corridor.
This plan addresses a wide array of topics, including land use, form of
the built environment, transportation and circulation, ecology and open
space systems, community connections, and economic development.
Some of the salient concerns that the team grappled with included:
8
•
Whether Needham Street’s identity as a commercial strip would
change and, if so, what interventions and redevelopment proposals
would be necessary to facilitate such change.
•
Are streetscape, use, and form-based planning rules and guidelines
sufficient and appropriate measures to serve as catalysts for the plan’s
broader vision?
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
Photos of Public Meeting A Newton
City Hall
From top to bottom:
Photos of Public Meeting A Newton
City Hall
Next, the team interviewed a variety of stakeholders, including Newton
Aldermen, Planning and Development Department staff, interested
residents, local developers, business people, and leaders of community
task forces. The stakeholders were asked some specific questions about
Needham Street, but were also encouraged to speak freely on the issues
that concerned them the most. In this way the team gained a sense of
what members of the community—the real Needham Street experts—
truly valued. Similarly, about two months into the process the team held
a public meeting at Newton City Hall to present findings and preliminary
recommendations and ask for reactions and feedback from community
members. Later phases of data collection and analysis built upon this
public input to develop a more nuanced understanding of the forces at
work along the corridor.
This background research and stakeholder feedback frames the
plan’s vision. After analyzing Needham Street’s current strengths
and weaknesses, a number of recommendations and strategies were
developed to achieve the proposed vision. The process culminated in
a second public meeting in December 2010, at which the team shared
penultimate recommendations with the community. Stakeholder
comments again helped refine and further develop the recommendations,
which are presented to the City of Newton in this report. The team hopes
that this work will be continued and built upon in the coming months
and years, so that Needham Street can realize its potential as a thriving
corridor.
Public meeting regarding Needham Street
vision, Newton City Hall, December 2010
introduction
9
2
CHARACTERIZING
NEEDHAM STREET
Needham Street today is an important local and
regional auto-oriented shopping destination.
Businesses on the street provide a significant
source of tax revenue for the city, and there is
a strong local consumer base to support them.
Needham Street is also well connected to regional
transportation networks. However, the corridor
faces a number of significant challenges to future
development, including traffic congestion, a poor
pedestrian environment, a lack of connectivity
with local neighborhoods, no cohesive visual or
physical identity, and limited public open space
amenities. This section will discuss the area’s history
and current site conditions, and will evaluate the
assets and challenges presented by the physical
environment and function of the corridor.
History of Needham Street
Needham Street is currently an incongruity in a
city known for its history and picturesque, wellmaintained neighborhoods. Newton became one
of Boston’s first streetcar suburbs in the late 19th
century and continued to grow as a desirable
residential retreat well into the 20th century. The city
has maintained a unique identity as a prosperous,
progressive, and dynamic inner suburb. Interventions
on the Needham Street corridor should be careful
to consider the surrounding context and extend
these qualities while preserving or restoring cultural,
physical, and natural assets.
Above and opposite: Scenes illustrating
Needham Street’s auto-oriented character
The southwestern neighborhoods that border the
Charles River and Needham Street played important
roles in the region’s manufacturing history. Even
today, the impact of the mills that dotted the
10
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
CHARACTERIZING NEEDHAM STREET
11
persists today along parts of the corridor. Through
the early 1970s the street was a manufacturing zone,
but as industry continued to move farther from
the metropolitan center vacant sites were left along
the corridor. These former industrial parcels were
converted to office and retail uses, beginning with
the construction of the Marshalls site in 1979. At the
same time, Needham Street became an important
automobile route, connecting Route 9 and Route
128. Today the street remains an important autooriented corridor, prioritizing vehicular traffic over
pedestrians, and lacks a cohesive or visually distinct
identity.
Needham Street Today
The Needham Street corridor today is both an active
roadway and a shopping destination, but there remain
a variety of opportunities and challenges that will
impact future development along its length.
Land Use and Connectivity
Current land use regulations governing the corridor
constrain the possibilities for the site’s future
development. As it stands, the majority of Needham
Street is zoned as Mixed Use 1 (MU1) and Mixed
Figure 2: Existing land uses
Figure 1: Historic map of Needham Street showing adjacent railroad line, Needham Street along dashed line
landscape along the Charles remains as a legacy of this
area’s productive history. The Needham Street area
was originally developed following manufacturing
activity near the Charles River Upper Falls, which
was first dammed for mill use in the late 17th century.
Originally, the land in the Needham Street corridor
was used for farming, but in the early 19th century,
property in the southern section of the corridor was
developed into a machinery manufacturing business.
The railroad line that is located parallel to Needham
Street was in 1852, transforming the area adjacent
to Upper Falls into a bustling village. At the end of
the 19th century this railroad carried the fill that
was used to create Boston’s Back Bay. To the east,
the Newton Highlands area began to grow in the
1870s. Although the area around Needham Street was
12
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
initially subdivided for residential uses, the plots near
the railroad tracks were less attractive to residential
developers, so larger parcels were assembled and sold
for industrial development.
The street itself was originally constructed in 1875
to connect Newton Highlands and the town of
Needham, but its major growth period occurred after
World War II, as industry all over the United States
moved from inner cities to suburbs. The existing
built form had a strong influence in directing new
development, leading to a patchwork of large and
small lots and buildings and contributing to its
current discontinuous character. Regulations at the
time required industrial development to be set back
from the road by 40 feet, laying down a pattern that
CHARACTERIZING NEEDHAM STREET
13
Use 2 (MU2), which allows for commercial and industrial uses, as
well as residential uses by special permit. This zoning scheme has led
to the development of a mix of uses along the corridor (“horizontal
mixed-use”), but the street has very few mixed-use buildings (“vertical
mixed-use”).
street-facing front doors. Without any sort of
standardization in the way buildings address the
street, the corridor is truly automobile-oriented, and
lacks a cohesive visual identity. On a gross level, the
corridor has a floor-area ratio (FAR) of under 0.5,
meaning that total building square footage represents
less than half of the land area along the corridor.
Existing zoning regulations allow an FAR of up to 2.0,
which indicates that zoning would allow a significant
amount of new development in the corridor on an
overall basis.
The corridor is roughly organized with retail and commercial uses sited
closer to the street and industrial uses more deeply set back. Particularly
in the southern section, the street’s uncharacteristically large parcels are
unique in Newton and represent an opportunity for types of development
that could not occur elsewhere in the city. Additionally, through infill
development, there is great opportunity to use existing properties along
the street to help create a more pedestrian-friendly scale.
Unfortunately, the street’s role as an auto-oriented corridor has led to
its isolation from neighboring Upper Falls and Newton Highlands, both
physically and psychologically. Although the corridor’s character is not
currently conducive to forging links with surrounding neighborhoods,
there is opportunity for this to change. Careful consultation with these
communities is necessary to ensure that the city matches community
goals with the future development of Needham Street, but there is
certainly the potential to make positive connections. Integration with
the surrounding neighborhoods is paramount if Needham Street is to
become an interesting and attractive place with an identity that enhances
the livability of those surrounding neighborhoods.
Needham Street is an important transportation
conduit, but any attempt to improve conditions along
the corridor must include a host of interventions to
improve and upgrade the street right-of-way. The
lack of cohesive identity begins with the streetscape,
where pedestrians and drivers alike first experience
the corridor. Aside from the roadway itself, pedestrian
accommodations along the corridor are particularly
poor, with sidewalks degraded or non-existent in
many places, parking lots open to the street, many
curb cuts, a lack of street ‘furniture,’ and no safety
buffers to help protect pedestrians from vehicular
A drive down Needham Street reveals a diverse set of building types,
styles, and arrangements, corresponding to a variety of parcel sizes and
orientations. The corridor is home to multi-family residential, office,
small- and large-scale retail, and industrial uses. These uses are housed
in a range of building types, including single-story retail strip malls,
multi-story office buildings, and a one-of-a-kind historic mill. Although
The Mill at the Charles is the best-known historic building on Needham
Street, the corridor is also home to buildings of many different ages and
architectural styles. Some properties, such as 55 Needham Street and
100 Needham Street, while not classified as ‘historic,’ were built prior to
World War II and exhibit interesting period architectural details that add
to the street’s multi-faceted character.
14
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
The corridor does have a variety of parcels on
which pleasant landscaping vastly improves the
Streetscape and Aesthetic Quality
Buildings, Lots, and Density
Unfortunately, this eclectic mix means that the experience of traveling
along Needham Street can feel haphazard, with buildings arranged
at differing distances and angles from the road and some lacking
traffic. The corridor also has an insufficient number
of crosswalks, making it extremely difficult to safely
cross the street. Visually, the overhead wires lining
the street dominate the landscape. Without buildings
facing the street, proper pedestrian facilities, and
inconsistent building setbacks, the ‘edge’ of the street
is poorly defined.
Below and right: Poor pedestrian
accommodations along Needham Street
Examples of varied building typologies on
Needham Street: (top to bottom) office,
multi-family residential, historic, industrial,
small-scale retail
CHARACTERIZING NEEDHAM STREET
15
environment, and the nearby Charles River serves as
an ecological and historical asset. The street does not,
however, provide the same quality of environment that
one comes to expect from Newton’s well-maintained
and unified villages, nor does it take advantage of a
variety of potential assets, such as its history, notable
buildings, and proximity to recreational open space.
The corridor’s lack of pedestrian amenities and
jarringly varied scale prevent people from walking
between parcels, and a poorly maintained street
inhibits further investment from property owners.
Ecology and Open Space
Newton is a community that prides itself on being
“The Garden City,” and has long been recognized for
its environmental leadership in its recycling and waste
management programs, as well as in its pursuit of
high performance design standards for new facilities.
Considering this, the subject of ecological systems,
open space, and recreation ought to be a high priority
in the planning and development of Needham Street.
The creation of an open space framework for
the Needham Street corridor requires careful
consideration of the site within the regional ecological
context of the Boston metropolitan area. At the city
scale, two diagrams (Figures 3 and 4) help illustrate
the surrounding open space context of the Needham
Street corridor.
As of September 2007, only 2,300 of Newton’s more
than 11,000 acres of land could be considered open
space. Of this, just over 2,000 acres remain in a
predominantly natural state. Approximately 1,000
acres are privately owned (more than half by golf
courses), about 300 are open water, and the rest is land
shaped primarily to serve human residential use. The
remainder is publicly owned, and is primarily in the
form of parks and playgrounds.
16
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
<EXISTING OPEN SPACE MAP FROM ANDREA?>
Figure 5: The corridor sits between two sheets of bedrock and within three drainage basins. The brook, which
runs through the center of the site, primarily affects parcels in the southwestern section of the site. A buried
floodplain sits beneath the Marshalls plaza parking lot and its hundred year floodplain stretches up to the
Newton Technology Park parcels. The site is bounded to the south east by a wetland, to the west by the green
corridor along the rail right of way, and to the south by the green corridor along the Charles River.
Figures 3 and 4: Surrounding open space context
CHARACTERIZING NEEDHAM STREET
17
Site geology, topography, and
watershed boundary
In terms of surficial geology, the corridor is located
mostly on sand and gravel deposits, with two bedrock
and till areas on the eastern and western edges of the
corridor. The area does not present steep topography
except on the parts that coincide with the rock layer;
the average change in topography does not exceed
20 feet along its length. The corridor crosses three
drainage basins, which converge along the existing
brook that passes through the middle of the site
(Figure 5).
Wetlands and floodplains
Safeguarding water resources is also a high priority for Newton. The Comprehensive Plan
and Newton’s Recreation and Open Space Plan call for the protection of natural bodies
of water, and for the prevention of stormwater pollution from the roadways. Newton
has 12 miles of riverfront property along the Charles River (more than any neighboring
community), and a vast amount of the city’s stormwater drains into it. There is a broad
commitment to limiting and managing stormwater runoff by using containment and bioretention techniques. Over the past few years Newton has been systematically investigating
and addressing crossovers between stormwater and sewer systems.
The Needham Street corridor is clearly demarcated on the east and west sides by two linear
strips of green that run from north to south, roughly paralleling the abandoned railroad
tracks, and along the Charles River from east to west along its southern edge. A large patch
of wetland exists on the central eastern side, and is linked to a brook that runs through the
site, providing important ecological assets to the corridor (Figure 5). However, Needham
Street is lacking in terms of an effective water remediation system, and includes little to no
usable public open space.
18
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
Above: Brook and
rail corridors
Opposite: Existing
open space on
abandoned rail-bed
and along the
Charles River
A floodplain cuts the corridor from east to west,
corresponding with an existing brook that is buried
at the Needham Street crossing but otherwise open.
In addition, a pond was formerly located just to the
south of the terminus of Tower Road. On the eastern
boundary of the corridor (at the end of Industrial
Place) there is a large wetland area full of deciduous
species typical of southern New England such as
buttonwood, red maple, ash, and American elm. The
southern portion of the site borders the Charles River,
and directly ties into its ecosystem. These factors make
the corridor prone to flooding, presenting the need
for more intensive and creative water remediation
strategies.
Recreational open spaces
No public recreation areas are currently located within
the Needham Street corridor. However, four parks
are located in close proximity: Newton Highlands
Playground to the north, Upper Falls Playground
to the southwest, Nahanton Park to the southeast,
and the larger Cutler Park to the south on the
Needham side of the river. These parks could be easily
incorporated into a network of open spaces accessible
from Needham Street. Further, a privately owned
historic cemetery lies at the northern terminus of the
corridor and could be used to strengthen the open
space network.
CHARACTERIZING NEEDHAM STREET
19
Bottlenecks caused by vehicular movement within the
0.8 mile stretch of Needham Street can be principally
attributed to two issues: an excessive number of
curb cuts and a lack of signaling at certain critical
intersections. There are thirteen curb cuts in just the
southern section of the Needham Street corridor, a
very high number for an arterial/connector road. The
northern section contains not only numerous curb
cuts but also many segments where there is virtually
no physical separation between streets and property
lots. Most of these curb cuts offer ingress and egress
to parking lots of commercial sites, and almost all of
these turning points are unsignaled. The excessive
curb cuts and unsignaled left turns out of commercial
lots impede movement on the street. This disruption
of traffic flow causes greater congestion than would be
expected for the volume of traffic on the road.
Transportation Infrastructure and
Mobility
Needham Street today functions as an important
traffic corridor. Although very limited Massachusetts
Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) bus service
exists along the corridor, the reality is that most
visitors destined for Needham Street must drive
there. There is ample parking in lots located along the
corridor, but it is predominantly commercially owned
and not for use by the general public unless they are
patronizing local businesses. A middle turning lane
helps alleviate some congestion, but the large number
of curb cuts means that automobiles frequently cross
or block traffic as they turn into and out of various
shopping centers and commercial establishments.
Drivers attempting to turn left out of these parking
lots have a particularly detrimental impact on traffic
flow. While there are opportunities to improve the
efficiency of traffic flow on Needham Street, future
development plans may be limited by traffic impacts
in light of these and other constraints.
For pedestrians and bicycles, Needham Street
currently presents an uncomfortable, confusing,
and unsafe environment. Cyclists navigate the street
despite the lack of dedicated bicycle lanes or bicycle
route demarcation. Sidewalk and crosswalk conditions
are sorely insufficient for such an important
commercial area.
General traffic patterns
Traffic flow through the Needham Street corridor
is constrained at peak periods during weekday
morning and evening commuting hours and on
Saturday afternoons. Levels of service, or the quality
of movement through the street as experienced by
vehicle occupants, are adversely affected by congestion
resulting from peak-hour traffic. Some congestion
can be attributed to bottlenecks at discrete points
along the length of the street. However, much of the
congestion can also be attributed to regional traffic
movements.
20
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
Northeast Needham Street
Depending upon the time of day, different
destinations within the Needham Street corridor
contribute to internal bottlenecks caused by turning
vehicles. Fast food outlets and convenience stores
attract large numbers of motorized vehicles across
lanes at all times of day. National Lumber attracts a
substantial proportion of the heavy-goods vehicles
traversing the roadway segment throughout the
day, while other heavy-goods vehicles provide
numerous retailers with periodic shipments.
During weekday commuting and lunch periods,
traffic entering and exiting parking lots of offices,
retailers, and restaurants, especially in the southern
portion of Needham Street, contributes to peakhour bottlenecks. Retailers and restaurants are
largely responsible for Saturday afternoon peak-hour
congestion.
While curb cuts and a lack of signaled intersections
contribute to localized bottlenecks, much of the
congestion within the Needham Street corridor stems
from regional demand. First, much of the volume
traversing the Needham Street corridor during
peak hours is through traffic. According to a 2008
Vanasse, Inc. study, the Institute for Transportation
Engineers (ITE) generally estimates that through
traffic (i.e., traffic for which Needham Street is not a
final destination) comprises about 25-34% of all traffic
for corridors similar to Needham Street. However,
the Comprehensive Plan estimates Needham Street
through traffic at 47% of the total. This may result
from congestion of nearby regional highways such
as Route I-95/128 and Route 9. The Massachusetts
Department of Transportation (MassDOT) estimates
average traffic on Route I-95/128 going past the
Needham Street/Highland Street interchange to
be between 135,000-145,000 vehicles per day, and
average traffic on Route 9 to be about 50,000 vehicles
per day. Thus, many drivers may use Needham Street
to avoid the high levels of congestion on these major
highways. A second regional factor contributing to
high levels of corridor traffic is the fact that many of
the land uses attract regional visitors. This is beneficial
from an economic standpoint, but causes high
traffic volumes on Needham Street during weekday
commuting, weekday lunch, and Saturday afternoon
peak hours.
As for daily volume on Needham Street itself, recent
traffic studies suggest the average volume of traffic
currently ranges from about 18,000 to 20,000 vehicles
per day of combined northbound and southbound
traffic, depending upon the day of week (Sunday
exempted). A 2010 study completed by Precision Data
Industries on behalf of the City of Newton measured
the direct weekday volume of traffic on the southern
section of Needham Street between Christina Street
and Charlemont Street to be between 19,150-19,400
vehicles per day. Morning peak counts averaged
about 1,425 vehicles per hour while evening peak
counts averaged about 1,225 vehicles per hour. The
Vanasse Study of a proposed redevelopment project
near the Tower Road and Industrial Place intersection
estimated an average daily volume just north of Tower
Road of 19,500 vehicles per day on weekdays (1,690
during the peak evening hour) and 18,300 vehicles per
day on Saturdays (1,793 during the peak afternoon
hour).
CHARACTERIZING NEEDHAM STREET
21
Intersections
In order to contextualize these traffic counts, it
is helpful to focus on peak-hour volume at key
intersections (signaled and unsignaled) and to analyze
existing constraints specific to each. This analysis
will help provide an understanding of the potential
impact of different transportation and development
interventions on traffic conditions on Needham Street.
Needham Street, Oak Street, and
Christina Street (Signaled)
The Needham Street, Oak Street, and Christina Street
intersection is the first intersection on Needham
Street northbound after crossing into Newton and
is heavily congested during weekday and Saturday
peak hours. A pre-timed signal allows for two phases,
northbound-southbound and eastbound-westbound,
and left turns are not allowed exclusive signaling
priority in any direction. These left turns contribute
to congestion within the intersection in all directions.
Right-on-red turns by vehicles from Oak Street onto
Needham Street southbound contribute to backups,
Figure 6: Key intersections in the Needham Street corridor
sometimes into the intersection, due to upstream
bottlenecks on Highland Street in Needham. The fact
that Oak Street and Christina Street are geographically
offset also appears to adversely affect westbound and
eastbound movement through the intersection. Table
1 details the Vanasse Study estimates of average daily
volume at this intersection.
The study suggests an overall level of service of “D”
for the Oak Street and Christina Street intersection
during the weekday evening peak hour (“C” for
Saturday), and forecasts an overall level of service
of “E” (“D” for Saturday) in 2013. Following the
2000 Highway Capacity Manual, published by the
Transportation Research Board, level of service is
rated on a scale from “A”-“F” (“A” signaling free
movement and “F” signifying severe congestion),
and is evaluated by a combination of speed and travel
time, freedom to maneuver, traffic interruptions, and
comfort and convenience. It is generally advisable
to consider mitigating interventions or capacity
enhancement at intersections with level of service
ratings of “D” or lower. A 2010 preliminary design
study by McMahon Associates suggests interventions
that would result in a more geometrically aligned
intersection.
Needham Street, Tower Road, and
Industrial Place (unsignaled)
TOWER RD
The unsignaled intersection of Tower Road and
Industrial Place with Needham Street offers ingress
and egress to several larger area retailers. The center
turn lane allows for left turns onto either Tower Road
or Industrial Place, while through traffic remains in
northbound and southbound lanes. Vehicles entering
from either of the two side streets must wait until a
sufficient gap opens between through traffic lanes
on Needham Street, which is difficult for vehicles
making left turns. Table 2 details the Vanasse Study
estimates of average daily volume at this problematic
intersection.
According to the Vanasse Study, much of the traffic
delay attributed to this intersection occurs on the two
side streets, resulting in a level of service rating of “F”
22
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
Northern Needham Street
for both Tower Road and Industrial Place during the Saturday peak. Further complicating
movement through this intersection is the fact that the side streets are geographically offset,
resulting in the effect that drivers perceive two separate “T”-shaped intersections within
close proximity of one another. While left (and right) turns from this intersection often
constrain southbound and northbound traffic on Needham Street, it is also important to
recognize that much of the traffic is already slowed during peak periods.
Needham Street, Winchester Street, and Dedham Street (signaled)
The northernmost intersection of Needham Street, Winchester Street, and Dedham Street
is controlled by a three-phase signal. The pre-timed signal allows exclusive movements
from Needham Street northbound into the intersection, followed by exclusive movements
southbound from Dedham Street into the intersection, and finally two-way movements
eastbound and westbound on Winchester Street. The northbound approach includes an
exclusive left-turn lane, a center through lane that permits left turns, and an exclusive
right-turn lane. The Winchester Street eastbound approach includes an exclusive rightturn ramp and a through-lane that permits left turns. Dedham Street southbound and
Winchester Street westbound approach the intersection via single, three-directional lanes.
The configuration and signal cycle reflect the fact that a substantial percentage of vehicle
movement through the intersection consists of left turns from Needham Street northbound
and right turns from Winchester Street eastbound.
Since no current traffic counts are available, the team analyzed traffic movements through
the Needham Street intersections with Winchester Street and Dedham Street, as illustrated
in Table 3.
For the most part, the intersection configuration and signaling pattern accommodate
peak hour vehicle movements with minimal queue time. Nearly all vehicles entering the
intersection from all four directions are able to pass through within one cycle. Back-ups into
the intersection usually occur due to upstream bottlenecks. Left turns out of commercial
parking lots onto Needham Street northbound; bottlenecks on Winchester Street westbound
near Route 9; and traffic entering and exiting the Tedeschi grocery parking lot can cause
minor delays. Similar conditions were also observed for evening peak-hour traffic. Longer
queues form during Saturday afternoon peak periods as well.
CHARACTERIZING NEEDHAM STREET
23
Table 1: Needham Street, Oak Street, and Christina Street intersection traffic counts and projections in vehicles per hour
peak traffic counts
2008
2013
Weekday Evening
1741
1846
Saturday Afternoon
1941
2062
Table 2: Needham Street, Tower Road, and Industrial Place intersection traffic counts and projections vehicles per hour
peak traffic counts
2008
2013
Weekday Evening
1713
1831
Saturday Afternoon
1825
1954
Table 3: Morning peak hour traffic volumes: Needham Street, Winchester Street, and Dedham Street
intersection, observed Tuesday, December 9, 2010 from 8:02am to 9:01am. Green time excludes
yellow time and lost time. Winchester Street includes right-turn-on-red volume.
category
data
unit
Approximate Cycle Time
80
seconds
Approximate Green (NB)
30
seconds
Approximate Green (SB)
12
seconds
Approximate Green (WB/EB)
23
seconds
Needham Street Northbound
766
vehicles/hour
Winchester Street Westbound
248
vehicles/hour
Winchester Street Eastbound
1112
vehicles/hour
Dedham Street Southbound
314
vehicles/hour
Estimated Intersection Volume
2440
vehicles/hour
While the existing intersection configuration and signaling protocol
generally appears to respond well to the traffic patterns observed during
peak hours, there remain a number of weaknesses. First, pedestrian
crossings can be dangerous, especially across Needham Street. Second,
curb cuts located near the intersection pose hazards for drivers and
pedestrians alike. Finally, the intersection does not appear to safely
accommodate bicycles.
24
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
Oak Street and Chestnut Street
(signaled)
The Oak Street and Chestnut Street intersection
in Upper Falls does not fall within the Needham
Street corridor but should be considered in any
transportation or land use intervention. The
intersection provides access to Route 9 from the
Needham Street corridor via a left turn from Oak
Street westbound onto Chestnut Street northbound,
or access to Needham Street from Route 9 via a right
turn from Chestnut Street southbound onto Oak
Street eastbound. A number of restaurants, stores, and
small offices are located at this intersection, as is both
on-street (metered) and off-street parking.
As observed during a weekday lunch hour, the Oak
Street and Chestnut Street intersection services
a moderate volume of traffic, and most vehicles
pass through within one cycle. Based on a sample
15-minute observation, the two dominant lanes by
volume, Oak Street westbound and Chestnut Street
southbound, each see approximately 350-400 vehicles
per hour during the peak lunch hour. It is unlikely
that the intersection could accommodate substantially
higher volumes of traffic without additional capacity
or mitigation measures. Traffic patterns are dominated
by left turns from Oak Street onto Chestnut Street
(observed 55% of Oak Street westbound traffic) and
right turns from Chestnut Street onto Oak Street
(observed 90% of Chestnut Street southbound
traffic). Traffic generally flows freely on green cycles
except when more than one or two vehicles enter the
intersection during a cycle from Oak Street eastbound.
This disrupts the heavy left-turn flows from Oak Street
westbound onto Chestnut Street.
Elliot Street and Route 9 (signaled)
The intersection of Elliot Street and Route 9 does not
currently factor prominently in traffic movements
to and from the Needham Street corridor. However,
any intervention that increases access to Upper Falls
must consider this intersection since Elliot Street is,
along with Oak Street and Chestnut Street, likely to
carry most resulting through traffic. The intersection
of Elliot Street and Route 9 includes a small regional
shopping center and a short green signal. Since Route
9 is a major state highway, it is likely that cycle times
exiting Elliot Street onto Route 9 will be minimal, thus
risking back-ups into the Upper Falls neighborhood.
Needham Street Bridge
Having provided access across the Charles River
to Needham since the Industrial Revolution, the
Needham Street Bridge has earned its place on the
National Register of Historic Places. However, the
bridge limits traffic between the Needham Street
corridor and the Route I-95/128 interchange to two
lanes of traffic (northbound and southbound). Given
the current lack of alternative modes of transportation
and the lack of connections within the corridor to
other regional road infrastructure, this constraint
effectively places an upper limit on the commercial
development potential.
The Town of Needham is considering widening
Highland Street, which becomes Needham Street
in Newton, to four lanes. Furthermore, Route
I-95/128 is currently under expansion. The Needham
Street Bridge is a critical variable in determining
opportunities for the Needham Street corridor to reap
the economic benefits of expanded infrastructure
capacity to the west. As MassDOT has hired a design
team to comprehensively consider improvements
to both Highland Avenue and Needham Street, it is
expected that widening of the Needham Street bridge
may be considered.
Transit
The opportunities to improve transit access to the
Needham Street corridor are limited in the short and
medium terms. The Needham Street corridor is served
by MBTA Bus Route 59, ending in Watertown Square
and Needham Junction (an MBTA commuter rail
stop). There is no current passenger rail transit service
to Needham Street, although the MBTA does own
the rail right-of-way that forms the western boundary
CHARACTERIZING NEEDHAM STREET
25
of the Needham Street corridor. Based on existing
public reports and discussions with local and regional
transportation planners, the likelihood of increasing
bus service or reactivating MBTA Green Line light rail
service through the Needham Street corridor is low
for the foreseeable future.
The most recent MBTA biannual bus service plan
(2008) recommends no changes to Route 59. The
MBTA issued this most recent plan on the assumption
that any changes would have to be “resource neutral,”
so increases in service along one route must be
offset by decreases in service elsewhere. The plan
analyzes each route based on five criteria: span
of service, frequency of service, vehicle loading,
schedule adherence, and net cost per passenger. The
current Route 59 met all criteria for weekdays and
weekends, except frequency of service on Sundays
and Saturdays (e.g., intervals of over 60 minutes). The
MBTA plan envisions no changes, citing that larger
weekend intervals are an acceptable trade-off for the
implementation of a new service program that has
increased total weekend ridership on Route 59.
Activation of Green Line light rail service through
the MBTA right-of-way is proposed in the 2009
MBTA Program for Mass Transportation (PMT), but
funding is not currently available to proceed with this
plan. Previous studies, recently confirmed through
interviews with regional and local transportation
planners, have ranked the proposal as a low priority
for the foreseeable future.
26
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
CHARACTERIZING NEEDHAM STREET
27
3
COMMUNITY AND
PLANNING CONTEXT
Needham Street exists within a larger physical,
economic, and cultural-historical context both
in Newton and regionally, and these attributes
help form a foundation for the new vision for the
corridor. Further, previous planning efforts focused
on Needham Street provide important guidance
for its future. This section will discuss regional
economic and demographic trends, regional
transportation patterns, the street’s function as a
commercial corridor, neighborhood context, and
how the plan fits within the framework of Newton’s
Comprehensive Plan.
IN THIS SECTION
•
Economic and demographic
trends
•
Transportation connectivity
•
Commercial significance
•
Adjacent neighborhoods
•
Planning context
Regional Context
Economic and Demographic Trends
Any interventions within the Needham Street corridor
will occur within a larger regional context. Thus, it is
important to understand demographic and economic
trends in the State of Massachusetts and the Boston
Metropolitan Area, particularly in the inner suburbs
to the west of Boston such as the City of Newton and
the Town of Needham. This context helps shape the
opportunities and constraints within the Needham
Street corridor, which will help determine future
potential.
The Massachusetts Executive Office for Labor and
Workforce Development has published statewide
industry and employment forecasts covering the
ten-year period from 2006-2016. The Office projects
total job growth of 6.3% across the state, though
industry-specific forecasts vary widely. Jobs in
professional, scientific, and business services are
expected to grow by 18.1%, while jobs in education
28
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
Opposite: Entering
Newton on Needham
Street
COMMUNITY AND PLANNING CONTEXT
29
and health services are expected to grow by 16.8%.
Leisure and hospitality industries, including dining
establishments, are projected to expand workforces
by 9.2%. Conversely, manufacturing employment
is expected to decline by 13.8%, driven in large
part by the continued loss of jobs in durable goods
sectors, which face stiff international competition.
Two sectors within the manufacturing industry are,
however, projected to grow rapidly: pharmaceutical
and medical manufacturing, with a combined growth
rate of 44.6%. Wholesaling (up 2.8%) and retail jobs
(down 1.6%) offer limited new opportunities due to
consolidation within the former and a combination
of slower economic growth and increased online
shopping in the latter.
For the purposes of this plan, three regional subcategories corresponding to the Needham Street
corridor help narrow the scope of opportunities and
constraints within the Boston metropolitan area
context. First, the Needham Street corridor is located
within the “Inner Core” of Metropolitan Boston, as
defined by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council
(MAPC). Second, the Needham Street corridor is
located within the “Metro-West” suburbs of Boston,
as defined by numerous state and regional economic
and transportation bodies, such as the MBTA.
Finally, the Needham Street corridor falls within
the wider economic catchment area of the Route
I-95/128 corridor, one of Metropolitan Boston’s most
significant engines for commerce and employment.
The MAPC groups Newton within the “Inner
Core” of Metropolitan Boston, to which it forecasts
slow baseline demographic and job growth. In its
MetroFuture report, the MAPC forecasts a baseline
30-year (2000-2030) population growth rate of
5-8% in the Inner Core, the lowest in the region,
and a job growth rate of 6-13%. The report suggests
that this area benefits from good access to transit;
Figure 7: Regional highway (black), light rail (yellow), and bus services (yellow). Corridor highlighted in red.
I-95 / 128
key regional economic generators such as hospitals, universities, and high technology;
and a recent resurgence in population and investment. However, the report warns that a
combination of lower job growth, high costs of housing, and a potential lack of resources
for social and physical infrastructure threaten longer-term prosperity. Newton also shares
some characteristics with “Maturing Suburbs,” such as Needham, in that its crime rates are
relatively low and schools perform well, but it lacks the vacant space for new single-family
housing growth still available in this class of suburbs.
The 2009 Program for Mass Transportation (PMT), published by the MBTA and the Boston
Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Central Transportation Planning Service, forecasts
economic and demographic growth trends throughout Metropolitan Boston for the purpose
of planning and programming transit improvements. The report groups Newton and
Needham within the Metro West corridor, which radiates from the boundaries of Boston
and Brookline westward towards Worcester. The 2009 PMT suggests that through 2030 the
Metro West corridor will have the lowest job growth (13%) in metropolitan Boston and
lower than average job growth compared to the larger Boston metropolitan area (17% vs.
19%). Furthermore, two-thirds of new jobs will be located in exurban parts of the Metro
West corridor near Route I-495, especially in Framingham, Natick, and Marlborough.
Finally, the Needham Street corridor is located close to the Exit 19 interchange with Route
I-95/128, which forms an inner ring of limited-access highway roads about 15-20 miles
outside of Boston. This highway corridor is one of the most important economic and job
engines in Metropolitan Boston, with large employment centers throughout. Route I-95/128
has been adversely impacted by the recent economic recession. In its 2nd Quarter 2010
report on commercial real estate trends along the Route I-95/128 and Route I-90 corridors
in Metropolitan Boston, Jones Lang LaSalle reports that Class A office rents (a good proxy
for economic growth) have declined from the high $30s to the high $20s per square foot
between 2007 and 2010. An excess of supply over demand pushed vacancy rates up and rents
down. However, absorption rates are just now beginning to improve and there is little new
construction at this time, so rents and vacancies appear to be bottoming out. In the long
term, it appears that development will eventually increase again along the Route I-95/128
corridor as the state’s economy continues to improve. In fact, the Town of Needham has
prepared for increased development along Route I-95/128 for several years, beginning with
its 2001 study of Highland Avenue (the continuation of Needham Street in Needham) that
suggested a number of zoning and other recommendations to entice large commercial
development along the Exit 19 interchange. Route I-95/128 is currently under expansion,
and the State and Town of Needham are also discussing plans to widen Highland Avenue.
Opportunities
I-95 / 128
30
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
An analysis of state and regional trends suggests several important opportunities for the
Needham Street corridor. First, forecasted growth in professional business services, medical
and education services, and leisure and hospitality industries offers opportunities to attract
new office and restaurant development to the area. Second, while Inner Core and nearin Metro West communities may face slower rates of population and job growth, much
COMMUNITY AND PLANNING CONTEXT
31
of that growth will occur near suburban interstate highways such as
Route I-95/128. Third, a general need for affordable housing could offer
opportunities for residential development.
Challenges
Regional trends also suggest several challenges to development within
the Needham Street corridor. First, large-scale development plans for
the Highland Street corridor near the Exit 19 interchange with Route
I-95/128 offer competition for large commercial tenants. Second, the few
remaining manufacturers in the Needham Street corridor will continue to
face challenges from low-cost competitors. While existing industries may
continue to prove resilient, it is difficult to imagine many opportunities
for manufacturing growth, save for some medical or high-tech research
and development. Finally, the population of Newton is growing at a
relatively slow rate. Therefore, opportunities for economic development
cannot depend upon natural growth, and likely must instead center on
increasing regional incomes and attracting retail patrons from the larger
metropolitan region.
Transportation Connectivity
Needham Street is located within a larger network of transportation
infrastructure within the State of Massachusetts and, specifically, the
Boston Metropolitan Area. The scope and reach of this network, and
the quality of accessibility through these linkages, helps southwestern
Newton residents, businesses, and visitors access economic and cultural
opportunities in the region.
The Needham Street corridor is located near important state and regional
transportation infrastructure. The street has good access to major
regional roads and highways and moderate access to metropolitan transit
options. Figure 7 illustrates the proximity of the Needham Street corridor
to regional transportation infrastructure.
Residents in southwestern Newton and businesses along Needham Street
benefit greatly from nearly direct access to major regional vehicular
road connections to economic generators in Boston and along the Route
I-95/128 corridor. In particular Needham Street is accessible within
approximately one mile to Route I-95/128, a major interstate limitedaccess highway ring, and a corridor that is a leading economic generator
for the Boston Metropolitan Area. The Needham Street corridor also
32
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
lies within one mile of Route 9, a major state highway
that provides access between generally prosperous
western suburbs and a dense cluster of job centers in
and around Boston. Needham Street is also located
within a 15-minute drive (without congestion) of the
Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90), running approximately
parallel to Route 9, which provides interstate highway
access between Boston and major employment centers
in Boston’s western suburbs.
The quality of regional transit service varies depending
upon the location within or near the Needham Street
corridor. Residents in the far northern section of
the Needham Street corridor, from the Avalon Bay
development north, are located within about one
quarter mile of the Newton Highlands station of the
MBTA Green Line-Riverside Branch. Other locations
further south are outside a reasonable walking
distance from the Green Line. Residents and patrons
of the Needham Street corridor may also access the
MBTA’s Route 59 bus to Watertown Square (east) or
Needham Junction (west). While the 59 bus route
operates at frequencies of approximately 30 minutes
during weekday peak hours, some stops receive lessfrequent service, including many within the Needham
Street corridor.
area development. Thus, the Needham Street
corridor is a critical asset to the City of Newton in
formulating strategies that could leverage commercial
development to diversify property tax revenues and
expand employment.
According to the Comprehensive Plan, half of the
commercial floor space within the city is concentrated
on Needham Street, Chestnut Hill, and Wells Avenue.
Needham Street has about 2.5 million square feet of
existing commercial floor space, with a potential to
add roughly 3 million square feet. Thus, despite the
fact that Needham Street is already one of the primary
commercial corridors within Newton, existing floor
space is less than half of the existing zoned maximum
buildout.
Though Needham Street is a vibrant commercial
corridor, it is suburban in nature. Therefore, future
economic viability will depend upon motor vehicle
access to destinations within its boundaries. Local
developers suggest that the ability to provide vehicular
access and parking according to the consumer
Figure 8: Additional commercial area at buildout, from the
Newton Comprehensive Plan
In summary, Needham Street benefits from proximity
to and quality of accessibility within the larger road
system in Metropolitan Boston. However, transit
access is more limited and likely accounts for a very
small percentage of travel for local residents, workers,
and consumers.
Local Context
Important Commercial Destination
The Comprehensive Plan identifies Needham Street
as one of six corridors in Newton that serve both
local and regional constituencies. These corridors
are distinguished by high levels of vehicular traffic
and serve as focal points of activity that drive
Additional Commercial Floor
Area with Special Permits
50,000 SF
10,000 SF
1,000 SF
COMMUNITY AND PLANNING CONTEXT
33
Needham Street corridor to the west of the abandoned
rail right-of-way. Newton Highlands borders the
Needham Street corridor to the north and east. It is
important that any redevelopment along Needham
Street be sensitive to the defining characteristics of the
neighboring areas and take steps to mitigate any traffic
impacts on the surrounding residential areas.
Newton Highlands
Newton Highlands borders the Needham Street
corridor to the north and east. As implied by the
name, much of Newton Highlands is characterized
by hilly topography. Other defining characteristics
include a village center along historic Lincoln Street,
accessibility to the MBTA light rail network via
Newton Highlands and Eliot stations of the MBTA
Green Line-Riverside Branch, and residential areas
largely comprised of single-family homes. The village
roughly corresponds to the following boundaries:
Beacon Street to the north; Walnut Street and Dedham
Street to the east; Rachel Road, Wallace Street, and
Christina Street to the south; and Needham Street, the
MBTA Green Line-Riverside Branch right-of-way, and
several large open spaces to the west, as illustrated in
Figure 10.
Figure 9: Villages of Newton, Needham Street demarcated by dashed line
preferences of suburban shoppers is critical to commercial success. Given the amount
of vacant retail and office space along the roadway, the competition from other nearby
suburban corridors, and the importance of the corridor for generating city revenues, the link
between motor vehicle access and economic growth is an important consideration in any
future visioning exercise.
Adjacent Neighborhoods
The Needham Street corridor forms a dividing line between two of Newton’s thirteen
villages: Upper Falls and Newton Highlands. The Upper Falls neighborhood abuts the
34
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
Newton Highlands enjoys good vehicular connectivity
to the wider region via numerous connectors, major
and minor arterials, and highways including Walnut
Street, Winchester Street, Dedham Street, Needham
Street, Beacon Street, and Route 9. Major commercial
areas include large shopping centers along Route 9
and a variety of small to large retailers and restaurants
along the other major roads throughout the village.
Lincoln Street offers an intimate, pedestrian-oriented
environment consistent with an urban main street
design concept.
Newton Highlands and the Needham Street corridor
interact primarily at the intersection of Needham
Street, Dedham Street, and Winchester Street. Most
other areas of Newton Highlands are physically
separated from Needham Street either by distance
or by buffers such as large conservation areas.
Figure 10: Newton Highlands
There are at least three major considerations for the
redevelopment of the Needham Street corridor with
respect to Newton Highlands:
Traffic and development impacts on
residential areas within the Needham
Street corridor
A small grouping of residential dwellings within
the approximate boundary of Needham Street,
Winchester Street, Jaconnet Street, and Columbia
Avenue could be impacted by any redevelopment
within the Needham Street corridor. These
COMMUNITY AND PLANNING CONTEXT
35
properties, mostly single- and two-family houses,
are already impacted by retail traffic and parking
in the northeastern section of the corridor. There is
currently very little definition between residential
and commercial areas, and any redevelopment in the
northern areas of Needham Street should be sensitive
to and strive to enhance the residential fabric of this
neighborhood.
Accessibility via motor vehicle from
Dedham Street and Winchester Street
Dedham Street and Winchester Street are important
collector/arterial routes though neighborhoods
within Newton Highlands, and offer primary access to
Newton South High School. Any interventions along
Needham Street should be sensitive to impacts on
throughput at the intersection, and accessibility within
Newton Highlands and its educational institutions.
Pedestrian accessibility at the
Needham Street, Dedham Street, and
Winchester Street intersection
This intersection represents a physical and
psychological barrier separating Newton Highlands
from the Needham Street corridor. There are currently
marked crosswalks near the intersection from all cross
streets except Needham Street northbound. Physical
interventions to the intersection of Needham Street,
Dedham Street, and Winchester Street should strive
to enhance the safety and attractiveness of pedestrian
mobility.
Upper Falls
Upper Falls is distinguished by its historic connection
to the Charles River, its proximity to a oncebustling freight rail corridor, and its industrial and
manufacturing legacy. Upper Falls offers a quiet
residential setting nestled in a hilly topography, with
generally narrow roads, a variety of housing types,
small neighborhood-serving businesses, and ample
36
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
open space. The village corresponds generally to the
following boundaries: Needham Street to the east, the
Charles River to the west, and Route 9 to the north, as
illustrated in Figure 11.
Three two-way roads provide internal connections to
larger arterial, connector, and highway road systems:
Oak Street, Chestnut Street, and Elliot Street. Most
of the neighborhood’s small businesses, including
many small dining establishments and markets, are
located on these three streets. The local restaurants
have many patrons during mealtime hours. Dining
establishments on the corner of Oak and Chestnut
Streets draw employees of Needham Street businesses
during lunch hours, often by foot, and restaurants
along Chestnut Street near the Echo Bridge draw
many patrons at night.
There are at least four major considerations for the
redevelopment of the Needham Street corridor with
respect to Upper Falls:
Traffic impacts at the Oak and
Chestnut Street intersection
Increasing access from corridor parcels to Route
9 via Oak and Chestnut Streets can relieve traffic
from Needham Street, but could impact the Oak
and Chestnut Street intersection. There is currently
a moderate amount of volume at this intersection
during peak hours, and queue time is minimal. When
proposing recommendations for interventions on
Needham Street, it is important to mitigate against
substantial traffic increases between Needham Street
and Route 9 along Oak and Chestnut Streets, and in
particular at the intersection of these two roads.
is a two-way road running approximately parallel
to Needham Street through Upper Falls. Route 9 is
the highest order road connected to Elliot Street,
via a signaled intersection at its northern terminus.
Mitigating interventions at the Route 9 intersection
should supplement any proposal which adds vehicular
access to Elliot Street.
Community impacts of creating
connections into the Upper Falls
neighborhood
The majority of properties abutting the abandoned
rail right-of-way are small businesses operating out
of former industrial sites, and single- or two-family
homes with small yards. Elsewhere, Upper Falls
consists of mostly single-family homes mixed with
some two-family and larger multi-family homes. The
area is serviced by roads that are already challenged
by accommodating two-way traffic, with the exception
of Oak Street, Chestnut Street, and Elliot Street. Thus,
there is little margin for adding additional vehicular
connections without disrupting the character of the
existing fabric of Upper Falls. Additionally, because
several residential areas of Upper Falls abut the
Needham Street corridor, proposed interventions
must be sensitive to the surrounding housing.
City-owned land along the MBTA
right-of-way
The City of Newton owns nearly all the land
abutting the western side of the rail right-of-way
from approximately the Avalon Bay apartment
complex (located northwest of the intersection of
Needham and Rockland Streets) to the intersection
with Winchester Street. This land houses a fire
station—currently under redevelopment—and a
large Department of Public Works parking and
storage facility. While these lands are important for
city operations, much of the space is underutilized.
This offers one of the few opportunities for adding
connectivity from the Needham Street corridor
to Upper Falls (via Elliot Street) without directly
impacting privately-owned land in the village.
Figure 11: Upper Falls
Traffic impacts at the Elliot Street and
Route 9 intersection
Any proposal to increase vehicular connectivity
from the Needham Street corridor to Upper Falls
must also account for impacts to Elliot Street, which
COMMUNITY AND PLANNING CONTEXT
37
Planning Context
This plan outlines an original vision for Needham Street that rests
upon a strong foundation of prior planning work within Newton. The
Comprehensive Plan, in particular, has guided the development of
this document by establishing clear overarching goals for Newton and
suggesting policies by which to realize those goals. Adherence to the
Comprehensive Plan, however, still provides flexibility for the specific
recommendations of this plan: the Comprehensive Plan sets forth a
vision for Newton that must be interpreted by many successive planners
and informed citizenry, and thus refrains from specifying exactly how
to bring about “the Newton that we want.” Furthermore, the entirety of
Newton falls within that plan’s scope, whereas this plan focuses solely on
the Needham Street corridor.
The Comprehensive Plan’s primary objectives revolve around the
concepts of place-making and managing Newton’s growth, with an
emphasis on ensuring that such growth occurs in appropriate forms and
locations. The plan acknowledges a number of key principles that serve
that vision: context-sensitive design, support for multimodal accessibility
throughout Newton, encouragement of “smart growth” in land use, and
environmental sensitivity. Newton’s plan itself derives great inspiration
from its regional predecessors, including planning efforts by the MAPC
and the Office of Commonwealth Development (OCD). Importantly,
the Comprehensive Plan pays great attention to Newton’s existing assets
as foundations for improving the quality of life in Newton. Newton’s
village centers receive special emphasis in the plan’s land use section
as models for desirable urbanism: “Land use is to be guided with the
intention of enhancing village centers, supporting their vitality.” Because
Needham Street departs from the village center pattern but plays a crucial
economic role in Newton, its future course assumes great importance.
The Comprehensive Plan states, “The character of a major area of the City
as well as the loss of a significant portion of the City’s business base is at
stake.”
38
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
COMMUNITY AND PLANNING CONTEXT
39
4
A VISION FOR NEEDHAM
STREET
This plan’s vision for Needham Street draws upon
the findings discussed above and the direction
the Comprehensive Plan provides. Its intent is to
preserve or enhance the aspects of the street that
currently work well, and to improve the elements
that do not.
Vision
In support of the goals set forth in the
Comprehensive Plan, this plan encourages the City
to build on the Needham Street corridor’s assets by
making a set of incremental changes to improve the
pedestrian experience, aesthetics, connectivity, and
function of the ecological system, thus creating a
vibrant, livable, mixed-use gateway to Newton.
in this section
•
Vision
•
Objectives
•
Objective 1: Promote finegrain, mixed-use development
•
Objective 2: Create a more
cohesive and attractive
physical environment
•
Objective 3: Create a safe,
comfortable, and efficient
streetscape
•
Objective 4: Connect to
surrounding ecological system
and open space network
•
Objective 5: Promote
connections among parcels
and within neighborhoods
This vision applies to the Needham Street corridor
as a whole. The team anticipates, however, that the
northern and southern areas of the corridor will
maintain their distinguishing features, which are the
products of existing land uses, scales of development,
and physical characteristics. The plan therefore
addresses the corridor as two distinct parts, which are
defined as northern Needham Street and southern
Needham Street.
Northern Needham Street extends from the
intersection with Winchester Street to where the
abandoned railroad tracks cross the road, between
Newton Technology Park and Jiffy Lube. Northern
Needham Street contains several large properties, such
as the Avalon Bay apartment complex and Newton
Technology Park. The majority of the properties in
the northern half, however, are small-scale retail
businesses. This plan’s goal for the northern section
40
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
Opposite: Rendering of
vision for streetscape
along the Needham
Street corridor
A VISION FOR NEEDHAM STREET
41
of the street is to preserve and take advantage of this
existing pattern, envisioning northern Needham
Street as more of a pedestrian-oriented area where
small-scale buildings and parcels allow for fine-grain
mixed use. The emphasis for northern Needham
Street will be on supporting local clientele, much like
Newton’s village centers.
objectives
Southern Needham Street extends from the
abandoned railroad tracks to the Charles River. The
majority of the properties in the southern half of the
corridor are large-scale retail and industrial buildings.
This area should continue to accommodate regionally
oriented retail, office, and industrial uses, which serve
an important economic development purpose. The
plan envisions southern Needham Street as a location
for larger-scale vertical and horizontal mixed-use
development, with larger building footprints and
parcel sizes. The southern half of the corridor will
remain more car-oriented as a result, but the plan’s
goal is to make it walkable and pedestrian friendly as
well.
1. Promote fine-grain mixed-use development
To achieve this vision, the team has developed five objectives for the
Needham Street corridor:
2. Create a more cohesive and attractive physical environment
3. Create a safe, comfortable, and efficient streetscape
4. Connect the site to the surrounding ecological system and open
space network
5. Promote connections among parcels and with surrounding
neighborhoods
Figure 12: Two-zone concept diagram
The following sections provide detailed recommendations that support
each of these objectives. These recommendations are meant to guide the
City of Newton in achieving the aims of the Comprehensive Plan along
the Needham Street corridor.
Objective 1: Promote fine-grain mixed-use
development
The central aim of this objective is to promote the mix of uses prescribed
for Needham Street in the Comprehensive Plan, which includes
Figure 13: Vertical (left) and horizontal mixed-use (right)
(Top) Existing building in northern zone
(Bottom) Existing building in southern zone
42
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
A VISION FOR NEEDHAM STREET
43
industrial, office, retail, and residential uses. Further
commercial development in the corridor will allow
for the flexible, moderate growth envisioned by the
Comprehensive Plan, augmenting Newton’s real estate
tax base as well as its income and employment bases.
Additional residential development on Needham
Street will bring character and vitality to the area and
will promote both typological and economic diversity
in housing.
This vision of mixed-use development includes
both vertical and horizontal forms of mixed use.
Vertical mixed use means multiple uses within a
building, such as retail on the first floor with office
space or residential units above. Horizontal mixed
use means multiple uses in separate buildings but
in close proximity, such as within a parcel or among
neighboring parcels.
Both horizontal and vertical mixed use should
be pursued at a fine-grain scale. Fine-grain
development creates a diverse, pedestrian-oriented
built environment that will support small businesses
and add character to the Needham Street corridor.
This type of development should be preserved and
enhanced in northern Needham Street and introduced
to southern Needham Street, which is currently
dominated by larger buildings.
Recommendations
Rezone Northern Needham Street
to Mixed Use 2
The team recommends that the City of Newton
change the zoning of the Needham Street corridor
to reflect and support the differences between the
northern and southern areas of the street. Needham
Figure 14: (Left) Existing zoning; (Right) Proposed zoning
Key
Mixed Use 1
Key
Mixed Use 1
Mixed Use 2
Mixed Use 2
Cemetary
Cemetary
Street is currently zoned Mixed Use 1 (MU1) and
Mixed Use 2 (MU2). MU1 covers the majority of
the corridor; MU2 is limited to parcels on the east
side of Needham Street between Winchester Street
and Jaconnet Street. The entire northern half of
the corridor should be rezoned as MU2. This will
allow the MU1 and MU2 zones to be tailored to the
different characteristics of the corridor’s southern
and northern sections. In the north, uniform zoning
guidelines will also enhance a sense of place and
ensure that development on the west side of the street
is compatible with the more fine-grain environment
that currently exists on the east side of the street.
Allow desired uses by right
Vertical and horizontal mixed use can be encouraged
by changing the use types allowed in the MU1 and
MU2 zones. While the existing zoning code does
not explicitly prohibit vertical or horizontal mixeduse development, it does not encourage these uses.
Second-story residential units are allowed by right
in MU2, which could create vertical mixed-use
buildings, but this use is not currently allowed in
MU1. Allowing second-story residential uses and
mixed-use buildings and developments as a by-right
use in both MU1 and MU2 will facilitate development
of these building forms.
This plan therefore recommends that some uses
currently requiring a special permit should be allowed
by right instead. For MU1, the existing by-right uses
(office, research and development, and industrial)
should be preserved. To that list should be added byright uses that are currently allowed in the MU2 zone,
including retail, personal services, and restaurants.
The team also recommends adding multi-family
residential as a by-right use. Finally, combinations of
office, retail, services, restaurants, and residential use
within a building or a development should also be
explicitly allowed.
For MU2, all existing by-right uses (office, research
and development, retail, personal services, and
restaurants) should maintain that status. Multi-family
44
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
Mixed Use 1 (Southern Needham Street)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Office
Retail
Restaurant
Personal services
Multi-family residential
Manufacturing
Assembly or fabrication
Research and development
Combinations of office, retail, restaurant, and
residential use
Mixed Use 2 (Northern Needham Street)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Office
Retail
Restaurant
Personal services
Multi-family residential
Research and development
Combinations of office, retail, restaurant, and
residential use
0.5 FAR
1.0 FAR
1.5 FAR
Figure 15: Illustration of building floor-area ratio (FAR)
A VISION FOR NEEDHAM STREET
45
residential and combinations of office, retail, services,
restaurants, and residential use should also be allowed
by right.
It is important to note that large developments that
include by-right uses will still require a special permit
from the Board of Aldermen. The size-based special
permit will provide the necessary review process
for developments that could create neighborhood
impacts. However, eliminating the use-based special
permit requirement for desired uses will promote
small-scale mixed-use development and support
the goals of the Comprehensive Plan. (Please see
recommendations under Objective 2 below for
additional information.)
Revise density and dimensional
requirements
Finally, a new dimensional requirement should be
introduced to prohibit retail buildings above a certain
size threshold, in order to prevent massive big box
stores. The big box building type does not meet this
plan’s objectives for a mixed-use and pedestrianoriented environment. Individual building footprints
should therefore be limited to a maximum of 40,000
square feet.
To summarize, the recommended density and
dimensional requirements for both zones are as
follows:
Maximum building height
•
By right: 2 stories
•
Special permit: up to 4 stories
In addition to specifying the types of use allowed in
an area, the zoning code also sets requirements for the
density and dimensions of new development. These
requirements currently include maximum building
height, FAR, and the required lot area per dwelling
unit.
Maximum FAR
The maximum building height and maximum FAR
should stay the same in MU2, but the requirements
for MU1 should be decreased to match those of MU2.
Decreasing the by-right height and FAR will allow the
City of Newton to offer density bonuses to incentivize
positive development characteristics, such as mixed
use. (Please see the Implementation section below
for additional information.) The proposed height
and FAR requirements will create the desired scale of
development in the corridor, which balances vibrancy
and walkability with Newton’s suburban context.
Maximum building footprint
The required lot area per dwelling unit should
decrease from 10,000 square feet to 1,200 square feet
in both MU1 and MU2. Requiring a minimum of
10,000 square feet per unit is unduly restrictive to
residential development. Reducing the required lot
area to 1,200 square feet per unit is more consistent
46
with the rest of Newton’s business and multi-family
residential districts.
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
•
By right: 1.0
•
Special permit: 2.0
Making the design guidelines explicit would allow for a more efficient review process. For
example, the design of small developments might be reviewed administratively, by the
Planning and Development Department, while the Design Review Commission would
review medium-sized developments. Approval by the Board of Aldermen, with input from
the Design Review Commission, could thus be reserved for large developments. These
changes to the review process would incentivize compatible development while still ensuring
oversight and community input. The result would be more economic development and
better design.
It is important to note that these thresholds only address the size of the proposed
development. Some uses would still require a special permit regardless of the development
size. Decisions involving special use permits would remain within the purview of the Board
of Aldermen.
Table 4: Proposed tiered review thresholds
development
size
review process
reviewing body
10,000-19,999 SF
Site Plan Review
Planning Department
20,000-29,999 SF
Site Plan Review
Design Review Commission
30,000+ SF
Special Permit
Design Review Commission and
Board of Aldermen
Lot area per dwelling unit
•
•
1,200 square feet
Objective 2: Create a More Cohesive and Attractive
Physical Environment
40,000 square feet
Revise development review process
In addition to changing the uses and densities
allowed by right, revising the development review
process will help facilitate desired development.
First, design guidelines should be added to the site
plan review process. Design guidelines explain how
the community wants new development to look and
feel in terms of building scale and massing. If done
well, these guidelines tell developers what to expect
and add predictability to the review process. (Please
see Objective 2 below for additional information on
design guidelines.)
The following recommended actions will help Newton create an identity for Needham Street,
promote cohesive design, and enhance the aesthetics of the built environment along the
corridor.
Recommendations
Standardize front setbacks
Buildings along Needham Street are currently positioned at varying distances from the
street, creating a jagged, undefined street edge. This contributes to the corridor’s sprawling,
haphazard feel, which detracts from the experience of the pedestrian, bicyclist, or driver
using the street. A discontinuous street edge can occur when the zoning code requires
a minimum but not a maximum front setback, as Newton’s zoning code currently does.
Implementing a maximum front setback will help to standardize building placement,
creating a stronger street edge and a better-defined street while enhancing the pedestrian
A VISION FOR NEEDHAM STREET
47
experience. Figure 16 illustrates the impact of the existing front setback
requirements.
Table 5 outlines existing and proposed front setback requirements. In
MU2, where smaller-scale developments and more pedestrian-oriented
uses are envisioned, the team recommends a 0’ maximum setback,
essentially creating a “build to” line. This proposal assumes that the road’s
right-of-way is large enough to contain the recommended streetscape
improvements, including bike lanes and landscaping. The recommended
maximum front setback in MU1 is slightly larger (15’) in response to the
large building sizes envisioned for that section of the street.
Lack of transparency in building facades
along Needham Street
Table 5: Existing and proposed front setback requirements
existing
MU1
MU2
Minimum: 15’ or building height if
higher than 1 story
proposed
Minimum: 0’
Maximum: 15’*
Minimum: 0’
Maximum: 0’*
*Or higher to allow for beneficial open space, as approved by the reviewing body
The team recognizes, however, that public areas like plazas or patios can
also enhance the pedestrian experience. The site plan review process
should therefore maintain some flexibility regarding maximum front
setbacks. The reviewing body, such as the Design Review Commission
or the Board of Aldermen, should be able to grant a larger maximum
setback in order to allow for “beneficial open space” in front of a
building. Beneficial open space could include plazas, patios, or other
spaces that provide a public benefit. ( Please see page 52 for additional
information)
Use form-based regulations and design
guidelines to improve the quality of the built
environment
Figure 16: Existing street dimensions and alternative building setbacks, taken at International Bicycle Centers,
Fresh City, and Filene’s Basement, respectively.
48
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
Incorporating additional built form considerations into the MU1 and
MU2 zoning code and developing design guidelines for these zones
can help to create a built environment consistent with this vision for
Needham Street. Certain form requirements are appropriate for inclusion
in zoning code regulation. Newton’s current zoning code includes
standard form requirements such as height, sign regulation, and building
setbacks. The following built form requirements should be added to
the zoning code for both MU1 and MU2 to improve the pedestrian
A VISION FOR NEEDHAM STREET
49
experience and overall quality of the street:
•
•
•
Require transparent windows along Needham
Street. Improved transparency will help engage
buildings and uses with the street. To add
specificity, the zoning code could also include
a requirement for the percentage of a building’s
façade facing Needham Street that consists of
windows.
Require that all commercial, retail, or
restaurant uses fronting Needham Street have
at least one main entrance on Needham Street.
Requiring an entrance on Needham Street will
reinforce the street’s pedestrian orientation.
Require that all commercial, retail, or
restaurant uses fronting Needham Street have
at least one sign addressing Needham Street.
Requiring signage facing Needham Street, rather
than the parking lot, will further improve the
street’s pedestrian orientation.
Topics that are more nuanced and thus might require
more discretion and flexibility are best incorporated
into design guidelines. The City of Newton does not
currently have design guidelines, and while there is
a Design Review Commission, that commission has
traditionally focused on signage regulation. Review of
building and site design is incorporated into special
permit review conducted by the Board of Aldermen.
As discussed under Objective 1, design guidelines
would give direction to developers and architects
working on Needham Street and provide a standard
minimized in order to enhance pedestrian safety.
Shared site access and shared parking between
neighboring parcels should be encouraged.
against which to review projects. Design guidelines
could be incorporated into all levels of review, as
outlined under the recommendations for Objective 1.
Although writing design guidelines for Needham
Street is beyond the scope of this plan, the City should
initiate a process to develop appropriate guidelines.
To aid in this process and to ensure that proposed
development is consistent with the character and
built form envisioned by this plan, it is recommended
that the design guidelines include the following
components:
•
•
•
•
•
All development should create favorable
impressions of the community through increased
architectural, design, and landscaping standards,
including gateway enhancements, streetscape, and
wayfinding.
Development should be compatible with the
character and land uses in the surrounding
neighborhoods. Development should
be appropriately integrated with these
neighborhoods in terms of building massing
and scale, streetscape character, and overall
design, while providing appropriate setbacks and
buffering or screening from nearby residential
properties.
Development should balance the need for
automobile traffic with strong design for
pedestrian and bicycle safety and connectivity.
The number of curb cuts and driveways should be
proposed
Minimum
Minimum
Maximum
Multi-Family
2.0/DU (can go down to
1.25/DU with Special Permit)
1.0/DU
1.5/DU
Office
1/250 GFA up to 20,000SF
1/333 above 20,000SF
1/500 GFA
1/333 GFA
Retail
1/300 GFA
1/500 GFA
1/250 GFA
DU = dwelling unit; GFA = gross floor area
50
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
Within large commercial properties, clear
pedestrian rights-of-way should be established.
Pedestrian access should be appropriately
placed to encourage walking to and through
the development. Development should include
provisions for crossing all driveway entrances
and internal roadways. Barriers to pedestrian
circulation among parcels should be discouraged.
•
Where possible, off-street parking should be
subordinated to the side or rear of a building.
Walkways and landscaping should be encouraged
between parking areas.
•
Building detailing should provide small-scale
elements of interest to both pedestrians and
drivers. Details such as doors, windows, eaves,
and railings should be carefully designed and
constructed to promote a more pedestrianfocused built form and streetscape.
•
Building facades should be articulated to reduce
the typical large-scale and uniform impersonal
appearance of typical commercial and industrial
buildings. Articulations can be produced by
paying close attention to rooflines, window
groupings, bay windows, and subtle changes in
materials. As much as possible, box-like, flatroofed structures should be discouraged.
•
Exterior building materials should be aesthetically
pleasing and compatible with materials and colors
used in adjoining neighborhoods.
•
Signage should be compatible with a pedestrianoriented streetscape.
Table 6: Existing and proposed parking requirements
existing
Within small commercial properties, clear
boundaries between street edges, sidewalks, and
surface parking lots should be made. Greater
sidewalk definition should be encouraged,
especially in the MU2 zone.
•
Limiting the amount of impervious surface
within a development should be encouraged, in
order to manage stormwater runoff and protect
water quality.
Manage the amount of parking
The amount of parking can have a significant impact
on the look and feel of a place. Large parking lots
encourage driving, discourage alternative modes of
travel, and detract from the physical environment’s
visual character. Currently, Newton’s zoning code
requires establishments to provide a minimum
Figure 17: (Top) Existing parking lot size;
(Bottom) Proposed parking lot size, image of the Marshalls plaza
A VISION FOR NEEDHAM STREET
51
The city should also encourage shared side and rear
parking lots through incentives and design guidelines.
Specific zoning incentives are discussed in more detail
in the implementation section of this plan.
Require beneficial open space for
large parcels
Figure 18: (Left) Existing parking frontage; (Right) Proposed parking frontage, TJ Maxx property
number of parking spaces. Requiring a minimum
number of parking spaces but no maximum allows
developers to provide excess amounts of parking.
The Marshalls plaza on Needham Street, for example,
has more than three times the required minimum
parking. To better manage the amount of parking
provided and allow for more efficient land use
patterns, the team recommends that the zoning
code be revised to include parking minimums
and maximums. Table 6 outlines the current and
recommended parking requirements for the three
predominant uses in MU1 and MU2. These parking
recommendations are based on current ITE standards,
requirements from similar suburban towns, and smart
growth best practices. Figure 17 illustrates the impact
of the proposed parking maximum on the parking
provided for the Marshalls plaza.
Newton’s zoning code should also encourage shared
parking lots by allowing transfers of parking between
properties located within 300 feet of each other. A
property owner could reduce the parking provided
on-site if an adjacent property has superfluous
parking and the property owner can demonstrate
that they have entered a shared property agreement
with the owner of that parking lot. A shared parking
52
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
agreement could also potentially be arranged between
adjacent uses in which parking lots are used at
different periods of the day (for example, office and
residential uses).
Limit parking abutting the street
Large parking lots abutting the street diminish
the street environment’s vitality and signify the
importance of the car over the pedestrian. Currently,
parking lots make up a significant portion of
Needham Street frontage. The team recommends that
the City of Newton use zoning to address the location
of parking, encouraging its subordination to the
side or rear of buildings. This can be accomplished
by limiting the amount of street frontage that can
be devoted to parking and by prohibiting parking
in the space between a building and Needham
Street. A maximum of 40% of street frontage as
parking is recommended. As shown in Figure 18,
40% parking frontage would allow for side parking
lots. Side parking lots are visible from the street—a
quality important to retailers—while allowing the
building, instead of the parking, to take precedence
along the street and thus creating a better pedestrian
environment.
The incorporation of civic spaces along Needham
Street can help create an identity for the street while
improving its aesthetic quality. One way to create civic
spaces along the corridor is to require that significant
new developments in MU1 and MU2 include
“beneficial open space” for public use. Newton’s
zoning code defines beneficial open space as areas
not covered by buildings or structures, including
landscaped areas, playgrounds, walkways, plazas,
patios, terraces, and recreational areas, and excluding
circulation walkways, surface parking, or areas
accessory to housing or commercial units (§30-1).
Specifically, the team recommends that developments
in both zones with parcels of at least 40,000 square feet
be required to dedicate at least 20% of the parcel area
to beneficial open space. Examples of beneficial open space
Objective 3: Create a Safe,
Comfortable, and Efficient
Streetscape
Needham Street faces substantial circulation
challenges, and the street’s physical characteristics
cause or reinforce many of those challenges. The
objective of creating a safe, comfortable and efficient
streetscape requires a careful balancing of the
pedestrian, cyclist, and transit rider’s needs against
those of the automobile, as safety and efficiency have
different meanings for different transportation modes.
The Comprehensive Plan emphasizes “accessibility
for all residents of Newton in all parts of the City,
including the 30% of the population that does not
drive.” Furthermore, the plan calls for “transportation
change that promotes rather than degrades the kind
of city that is being sought.” Nonetheless, Needham
Street’s importance to car traffic cannot be discounted,
and the majority of Newton’s residents do drive.
Streetscape improvements must acknowledge each of
the street’s present and future roles.
Currently, Needham Street’s design sacrifices the
pedestrian’s comfort and safety for maximum
automobile access—a trade-off that manifests itself in
several forms. Countless curb cuts, vague definition
A VISION FOR NEEDHAM STREET
53
of pedestrian paths and sidewalks, and unsafe street
crossings all encourage potential walkers and bikers
to climb back into their cars. Drivers and non-drivers
alike encounter on Needham Street a visually chaotic
and poorly defined environment with little identity,
in contrast to the distinctive village centers that
characterize the rest of Newton. Finally, Needham
Street has much room to improve its vehicular
efficiency as well, by rationalizing traffic patterns to
make the most of its current capacity. A variety of
cost-effective interventions to improve the corridor’s
streetscape will make Needham Street safer, more
comfortable, and more efficient for travelers by all
modes.
Figure 20: Proposed right-of-way improvements
Recommendations
Sidewalks, center medianS, crosswalks, and multi-modal
circulation
Figure 19: Illustrations of phased streetscape improvements
A variety of cost-effective traffic-calming measures on Needham Street will improve
pedestrian safety while enhancing the street’s visual definition and aesthetic appeal. This
category of improvements will encourage walking as a viable mode of circulation throughout
the corridor, instilling within visitors the sense that Needham Street is not designed solely
for car travel. Few people currently travel Needham Street by foot, as the corridor’s existing
streetscape makes the pedestrian experience uncomfortable. Poor sidewalk conditions and
disproportionate space allocated to the car in comparison to the pedestrian, along with a
poor demarcation of the territory belonging to each, contribute to pedestrian discomfort.
While pedestrian needs occupy a central position in this vision for Needham Street, the
interventions that serve those needs must calm traffic and protect pedestrians without
impeding the flow of vehicular traffic on Needham Street. A single lane currently
carries traffic in each direction while a central third lane allows left turns, affording little
opportunity to reduce Needham Street’s width without significant capacity reductions.
Although Needham Street can and should become more pedestrian-oriented, automobiles
will certainly retain a high mode share along the corridor, and it will remain an important
link within the region’s road network. Needham Street must continue to carry high traffic
volumes and the needs of separate needs must be sensibly balanced.
This plan recommends several specific streetscape improvements that will protect
pedestrians on Needham Street without adversely impacting traffic:
•
54
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
Improved sidewalks: Needham Street’s sidewalks currently exhibit various degrees of
disrepair. Long stretches of sidewalk are too narrow for more than one person—despite
A VISION FOR NEEDHAM STREET
55
•
Raised crosswalks: Safer pedestrian crosswalks
on Needham Street should use brick paving that
is slightly raised above street level, allowing cars
to comfortably drive over them while making
them more noticeable. As a result, the pedestrian’s
path will receive clearer definition and crossing
Needham Street will become a more inviting
experience.
•
Undergrounding utility wires: Undergrounding
utility wires is an expensive proposition, but
one that could increase the value of streetfront property, enhance the aesthetic appeal of
users, and create flexibility for non-vehicular
movement through the corridor. With respect
to this last point, utility poles and wires are
obstructions to the use of the full road rightof-way. Removal could allow for the expansion
of sidewalks, discussed above, and possibly
the implementation of dedicated bicycle lanes.
Objective 4 discusses linking Needham Street to
the larger regional bicycle network, so discussions
about undergrounding utility lines should occur
concurrently. The Implementation section of this
report discusses costs and financing options in
greater detail.
Figure 21: Illustration of proposed streetscape improvements
unused space on both sides—and sidewalks often
dissolve into parking lots, creating confusion for
pedestrians. The corridor’s sidewalks should be
widened and repaved where necessary, and the
sidewalk paving design should continue across
parking lots to define a clear pedestrian right-ofway. Street trees should line the sidewalk where
it meets the curb, establishing a buffer between
cars and pedestrians. Figure 20 depicts suggested
standard widths and layouts of sidewalks with
respect to Needham Street, and this basic design
should be adhered to wherever possible.
•
56
Reduced curb cuts: Curb cuts are necessary for
Needham Street’s vehicular circulation, but their
presence along Needham Street is excessive and
endangers pedestrians. Every business must have
direct vehicular access to Needham Street, but
the City should identify and close surplus curb
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
cuts. Imposing maximum building setbacks and
reorienting parking—as well as encouraging
shared parking and entrances through design
guidelines and zoning incentives—will also
reduce curb cuts.
•
Center median: An intermittent center median
should divide Needham Street’s two traffic lanes
for much of the corridor’s length, occupying the
lane currently dedicated to left turns and leaving
many portions of the lane for that purpose.
This median will contain trees and planters to
visually enhance the street and give it identity,
while facilitating safe pedestrian crossings by
functioning as a handicap-accessible traffic island
at crosswalks. The median will also enhance traffic
flow by rationalizing left turns in the center lane,
clearly defining where left turns can and cannot
occur.
•
New road connections: More connections
to the regional road network will take some
capacity pressure off Needham Street itself and
improve overall mobility within and around
the corridor. A road or pedestrian connection
between northern Needham Street to Elliot Street
through city-owned land would provide improved
access between Route 9 and Newton Highlands,
with minimal impact on neighborhoods in
Upper Falls. A road connection between Tower
Road and Oak Street would offer internal
circulation to a site that is likely to undergo
major redevelopment in the near future. Also,
additional connectivity to Oak Street would help
spread traffic in southern Needham Street over a
wider array of network options, such as Oak and
Chestnut Streets (to Route 9) and Christina and
Winchester Streets toward Needham. Specific
details on design and alignment will be discussed
in the Catalyst Sites section.
Figure 22: Illustrations of phased streetscape improvements
A VISION FOR NEEDHAM STREET
57
Mark transitions
Table 7: FHWA summary of roundabout design and capacity guidelines
A valuable tool for good street design is to apply
various traffic-calming measures to promote safety
and awareness at nodes where drivers and pedestrians
interact and, in some instances, to mark the transition
between two segments of a roadway. A gateway at
the intersection of selected streets can support these
dual goals. The 2009 New York City Department
of Transportation’s Street Design Manual defines a
gateway as a “combination of traffic-calming and
visual measures used at the entrance to a low-speed
street to slow entering vehicles and discourage
through traffic.”
Gateways are an appropriate strategy for creating a
safe, comfortable, and efficient transition between
the northern and southern sections of Needham
Street. The intimate scale of mixed residential and
commercial uses envisioned for the northern section
of the corridor suggests a need to increase drivers’
awareness of pedestrians and to reduce vehicular
speeds. Finally, the desired mix of road users requires
special attention to the nodes in which different
modes of transport interact, especially at major
intersections.
This section discusses three potential interventions
by which to fulfill this recommendation, including
two options for the Needham Street intersection with
Dedham Street and Winchester Street and one option
for the intersection of Needham Street with Tower
Road and Industrial Place, both of which serve as
gateways into northern Needham Street.
Northern Gateway: Roundabout
The Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA)
technical study, Roundabouts, suggests that
roundabouts offer benefits for safety, aesthetics, and,
in some contexts, operations and capacity. According
to the FHWA, empirical estimates of improvements
to both vehicular and pedestrian safety consistently
demonstrate dramatically positive results. Aesthetic
improvements are also well documented, and
roundabouts have been effectively deployed to serve
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NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
Design Element
Mini
Roundabout
Single-Lane
Roundabout
Multi-Lane
Roundabout
Desirable maximum entry design
speed
15 to 20 mph
(25 to 30 km/h)
20 to 25 mph
(30 to 40 km/h)
25 to 30 mph
(40 to 50 km/h)
Maximum number of entering
lanes per approach
1
1
2+
Typical inscribed circle diameter
45 to 90 ft
(13 to 27 m)
90 to 180 ft
(27 to 55 m)
150 to 300 ft
(46 to 91 m)
Central island treatment
Fully traversable
Raised (may have
traversable apron)
Raised (may have
traversable apron)
Typical daily service volumes on
4-leg roundabout below which
may be expected to operate
without requiring a detailed
capacity analysis (veh/day)*
Up to approximately
15,000 veh/day
Up to approximately
25,000 veh/day
Up to approximately
45,000 veh/day for twolane roundabout
*Operational analysis needed to verify upper limit for specific applications.
veh = vehicle
Figure 23: Proposed roadway improvements
as gateways between contrasting roadway and land
use typologies. Delay time savings accrue through the
elimination of lost time from signaling (start-up time
and red and yellow phases), and through allowance
of simultaneous (but usually slower) flow through
the intersection from all approaches. Roundabouts
are most effective at enhancing flow in less congested
intersections and during non-peak travel times, but
also demonstrate efficiency benefits at more congested
intersections when capacity is not overwhelmed and
context-specific mitigations provide supplementary
traffic flow management.
According to the FHWA, roundabouts are not
always an appropriate intervention for improving
the efficiency of a road intersection. For example,
roundabouts can increase delays through some
intersections vis-à-vis electronic signaling. In heavily
congested roundabouts, back-ups into the traffic
circle can cause stagnant traffic in all directions.
Furthermore, where there are substantial directional
imbalances during peak hours, roundabouts can
prevent ingress of vehicles entering the intersection
from approach roads with lesser volumes. This is
because levels of conflicting flow from higher-volume
approach roads create conditions where there are few
gaps allowing entry from lower-volume approaches.
Following FHWA guidelines, it is possible to design
roundabouts in places with constraints suggested
above in such a way as to mitigate potential risks
and maximize benefits. Interventions can include
metering at roundabouts during peak hours to permit
entry from lower-volume approaches, or designing
lane movements to optimize the use of road space to
accommodate unbalanced flows.
The team recommends that the City of Newton
seriously explore the possibility of adding a
roundabout to the northern gateway of the Needham
Street corridor at the intersection with Winchester
Street and Dedham Street. As demonstrated in
Figure 24, the intersection (approximately 100 feet
in diameter through the center) should be able to
accommodate a single-lane roundabout and the
current average daily motor vehicle volume. Due
to traffic volume imbalances during peak hours,
however, the City should explore two context-specific
modifications to the base design. First, the City
could consider a hybrid 1.5-lane roundabout, which
would allocate additional capacity to left turns from
Needham Street northbound onto Winchester Street
westbound. Second, the City could consider adding
a traffic signal that should normally be configured as
a blinking yellow light in all directions, but could be
programmed when necessary to meter traffic entering
into the roundabout during peak periods. Figure 24
provides a conceptual illustration of the design. The
illustration also demonstrates how bicycles can be
safely accommodated by relocating the bicycle lanes
(in blue) inside sidewalks as they pass through the
intersection, and it depicts raised crosswalks at a safe
distance from the roundabout.
A VISION FOR NEEDHAM STREET
59
Northern Gateway: Alternative Proposal
The roundabout proposal for Needham Street’s northern gateway at Winchester and
Dedham streets requires further traffic analysis to supplement the limited traffic counts
conducted for this study. Pending such closer examination, the roundabout’s viability
remains uncertain. An alternative plan for this intersection omits the roundabout in favor
of traffic-calming measures that more closely resemble the strategies pursued elsewhere
on Needham Street. This scaled-down alternative, while less ambitious, will accommodate
a wider variety of traffic flow patterns. Future data collection may reveal the need for this
flexibility at the intersection of Needham, Winchester and Dedham Streets.
Figure 25 depicts the alternative northern gateway proposal. Instead of a roundabout at
the intersection’s center, it remains signaled. This approach is an appropriate response to
traffic flow imbalance in an intersection; more detailed traffic counts at this intersection
will yield important insight into which alternative will work best. The raised crosswalks that
accompany the roundabout remain in place, and bump-outs will augment these crosswalks
at the lower-flow crossings on Dedham and south Winchester streets. The planted center
medians will extend along the current Needham Street median to the intersection with
Winchester Street. Finally, the borders separating streets from sidewalks will receive clearer
definition with brighter, painted striping and reduction of curb cut widths.
Figure 25:
Conceptual design
of northern gateway
alternative
Both alternatives for this intersection seek the same ends: traffic calming, pedestrian
accommodation, provision of a visual gateway to the corridor, and maintenance of
intersection capacity. This alternative prioritizes capacity at the slight expense of the other
three aims.
Southern Gateway
A combination of interventions to the intersection of Needham Street, Tower Road, and
Industrial Place could serve as a gateway to smooth the transition from the larger-scale
land use pattern in the southern section of Needham Street to the smaller-scale pattern
in the northern section. The team recommends the implementation of the following
improvements:
Figure 24:
Conceptual design
of northern gateway
roundabout
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NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
One recommendation is to geometrically straighten the intersection in order to increase the
efficiency of traffic movements. A break in the new center median should not only allow
for access across Needham Street, but also for the reappearance of left-turn lanes on both
northbound and southbound approaches from Needham Street. This would continue to
allow through traffic along Needham Street to proceed through the intersection without
excessive queuing behind left-turning lanes; however, it would also create an opportunity to
develop formal crosswalks across all four approaches to the intersection, allowing for safe
passage of pedestrians and bicycles. Crosswalks could be raised and marked by alternative
materials to asphalt, such as brick. Thus, the rationalization of this intersection can serve
multiple purposes: increasing the efficiency of traffic and fostering a more pedestrianfriendly environment.
A VISION FOR NEEDHAM STREET
61
Local Transit
Given the funding constraints of the MBTA, local
transit offers a flexible, realistic short-term strategy
for improving the modal split of passengers through
the Needham Street corridor. Newton experimented
with local transit with Nexus bus, but the program
was discontinued in 2003 due to a lack of ridership.
However, there may be opportunities for a more
flexible, context-specific option for the Needham
Street corridor.
Figure 26: Conceptual design of southern gateway traffic circle
Following these changes, one of several potential
interventions could more concretely mark the gateway
to northern Needham Street. The City should consider
each of these strategies as part of its comprehensive
circulation plan for the corridor:
•
•
62
Traffic circle: A small traffic circle could serve
as a mini-roundabout allowing four-way traffic,
eliminating left turns, and reducing the need
for an electronic signal. Such an intervention
would also be likely to decrease capacity into the
northern section of Needham Street, which could
both dissuade through traffic and exacerbate
congestion. Physical space may constrain this
option, which is modeled in Figure 26.
Signaled intersection: The Vanasse Study and
a McMahon Associates study both envision
signalizing this particular intersection, which
would improve access from Tower Road and
Industrial Place to Needham Street. A 2009
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
McMahon Associates peer review of the Vanasse
Study, however, points out that while a signaled
intersection can increase levels of service for
Tower Road and Industrial Place, it might
decrease levels of service on Needham Street. A
signaled intersection can also serve as a gateway,
but would do little to dissuade through traffic.
•
Signage and landscaping: Signage and changes in
landscaping within the center island immediately
after northbound Needham Street traffic passes
through the intersection can also signal a change
in the scale, use, and vehicular speed. Signage can
directly mark the entrance to a distinct district,
which can be reinforced by changes in the scale
of center median plantings and other streetscape
elements. Such interventions could also be
considered along with the implementation of a
signaled intersection.
A public-private or privately-supported mini-bus
service between commercial sites and MBTA Green
Line-Riverside Branch stations would be appropriate
for the Needham Street corridor, particularly in the
context of increased development envisioned in
this plan. Developers may welcome the opportunity
to draw patrons from the larger network of rail
commuters. The city could engage developers and
commercial property owners with this proposal,
offering public coordination (e.g., arranging for
bus stops) or other types of development incentives
in return for private contributions to capital and
operations. This possibility is discussed further in the
Implementation section.
Traffic Impacts and Mitigation
Traffic congestion has become a problem on
Needham Street and will likely remain so for the
foreseeable future. As mentioned previously, the road’s
capacity is limited to one lane in each direction, and
approximately 18,000-20,000 cars travel on it each
day. The increased densities this plan suggests will
add to the vehicular demand on Needham Street
in the form of local trips, while a separate category
of traffic (nearly 50% of all trips along the street, by
one estimate) will continue to pass through without
stopping. Both traffic types lead to congestion, and
plans for Needham Street must anticipate traffic
growth while developing strategies to mitigate
that growth’s impact. The Comprehensive Plan
states the following goal for Newton: “We seek to
assure development densities well related to both
neighborhood character and infrastructure capacity.”
Here, realizing this aim means ensuring that proposed
development on Needham Street will not exceed
the street’s effective capacity. Needham Street will
inevitably remain the area’s most suitable corridor for
heavy automobile traffic.
This plan reflects a decision not to expand Needham
Street’s capacity by widening the road itself. The
plan also attempts to improve traffic flow through
the corridor by concentrating on overall corridor
mobility, circulation, and road network connectivity
rather than focusing solely on monolithic movement
of traffic volume through a single segment. The
Comprehensive Plan and this plan both seek to
enhance multimodal transportation options (along
with density). Widening Needham Street would
only inhibit transit, bicycling, and walking while its
potential to relieve traffic congestion is questionable.
Various forecasts anticipate increased traffic flow
on Needham Street, and the proposed capacity
expansion on Route 128 (four lanes in each direction
by 2017) could contribute to that congestion; however,
widening Needham Street would likely provide only
temporary congestion relief before attracting higher
levels of traffic that would strain its capacity anew. The
lost opportunities associated with widening Needham
Street, however—a strengthened automobile
presence at the expense of other modes and a better
streetscape—would likely be permanent.
Table 8: Estimated trip generation of proposed development (ITE)
Trips / Min. (peak hour)
AM
PM
Northern Catalyst Site
4.3
5.6
Southern Catalyst Site
(Phase I)
7.9
9.8
Southern Catalyst Site
(Phase II)
7.6
9.7
A Vision for Needham Street
63
Table 8 roughly forecasts the traffic impacts of this
plan’s land use changes. The additional development
at the catalyst sites (discussed in detail below) will
result in higher densities along Needham Street and
will generate additional trips. The ITE publishes trip
generation rates (per square foot or residential unit)
for various land use types, and these rates facilitated
estimation of each site’s total trip generation by phase.
The precise mix of office and retail types cannot be
known now, so this estimate used a representative
mix based upon expected development patterns.
As the table shows, aggregate trip generation could
be substantial, but proper phasing and mitigation
measures will alleviate those impacts. Mitigation
measures, as discussed in detail above, include the
full range of traffic rationalization strategies for
the corridor along with a small degree of mode
shift toward walking and bicycling. New access
roads near the catalyst sites, described later in this
plan, will move certain local trips off of Needham
Street itself. Beyond these measures, development
phasing becomes critical to successful traffic impact
management. If earlier phases produce more
congestion than expected, the flexibility to reduce the
scale of later development phases offers a means of
stabilizing that development’s impact.
Vehicular Circulation
This section has described a complete set of proposals
for improved traffic circulation on Needham Street:
new access roads that can accompany proposed
catalyst site developments, as well as interventions
to rationalize vehicle movements on Needham
Street itself. These interventions can improve the
total vehicular throughput on Needham Street
while encouraging certain trips, especially locally
oriented ones, to circulate on side streets. Additional
opportunities to improve circulation and alleviate
congestion by adding new vehicular roads near
Needham Street likely exist. The new roads proposed
in this plan serve the western half of the Needham
Street corridor, while its southeastern section offers
fewer apparent opportunities for such interventions.
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NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
Furthermore, proposed transit improvements on
Needham Street would benefit the western half more
than the eastern half. Charlemont Street, which
is interrupted near the abandoned rail bed east of
Needham Street, offers one obvious possibility for a
new vehicular connection, but support from adjacent
stakeholders, including H.C. Starck and residents of
nearby neighborhoods, would be important in order
for this to occur.
Recommendations
Create and enhance open space patches
Patches, relatively homogenous green spaces that differ from their surroundings, are
fundamental to urban landscape ecology. One of the prevailing examples of a patch is a
park. Patches are an important resource for species diversity, as they start an ecological chain
reaction to smaller parks and gardens in a city—the larger the patch, the greater the benefits.
Objective 4: Connect to
Surrounding Ecological System
and Open Space Network
The Needham Street corridor is sited in a region
with a dynamic existing open space network and
rich ecological resources. This objective seeks to
build on existing plans while developing new, sitespecific interventions and design strategies. Changes
to the corridor must consider ecological priorities,
such as conservation of biodiversity and the urban
ecology principles of patches, corridors, and natural
water flows, as well as linkages to Newton’s broader
open space network. The provision of new and
active open space is important to the plan’s overall
strategy of enhancing the quality of the Needham
Street corridor and promoting it as a destination.
The recommendations outlined below describe the
proposed locations of new open spaces that integrate
recreational and passive uses as well as aesthetic
concerns to improve the function and quality of
Needham Street.
•
Large patches: The large patch that exists on the northwestern edge of the corridor,
Newton Highlands Playground (see Figure 27), should be protected, and could also be
re-oriented to strengthen its ability to protect aquifers. This will ensure that it continues
to act as a hydrological sponge in the case of flooding. This patch also has the potential
to sustain a variety of species, providing a core habitat and escape cover, while regulating
the needs of native plant species.
•
Medium to small patches: A series of medium- and smaller-sized patches would be
necessary to act as stepping stones between the larger patches. This plan recommends
creating these patches alongside other kinds of development on Needham Street. In
order for the smaller patches to be used for wildlife movement and the potential housing
of new species types, minimum sizes need to be mandated and replicated. Transition
zones of shrubbery and ground cover between trees has proven effective; vertical
layering of such vegetation would promote habitat diversity even further.
Figure 27: Existing
open space patches
A Vision for Needham Street
65
Use open space system and landscape elements to manage
stormwater
Several strategies are recommended to incorporate water management into Needham Street’s
proposed landscape and open space system. These strategies, which include natural and
artificial stormwater management, could eventually become a model for other areas in the
city.
Proposed parks /
Retention ponds
Existing water systems
Proposed vegetation
connectivity
New parks and retention ponds can be used to manage stormwater by providing a
location for natural filtration to occur. To fulfill this role, new parks should be located with
consideration of the area’s watersheds (see Figure 28) and, where possible, retention ponds
should be integrated into these green spaces. This system will help reduce pressure on the
City’s drain infrastructure.
One proposed location for a park is near the existing brook on the southwestern side of
Needham Street. A park in this location could provide an opportunity for “daylighting”
(reestablishing the waterway in its original natural channel where feasible), or to recreate
the wetlands and the pond that previously existed on the site (see Figure 28). The advantages
of this strategy include increased hydrologic efficiency (by slowing and infiltrating runoff),
and new habitat opportunities. The brook’s biological integrity could be preserved by
reestablishing and protecting its surrounding floodplain and riparian buffer. Ideally the
buffer should be at least 65 feet in width, the minimum needed to mitigate effects on aquatic
life, although the impact on adjacent properties would also need to be considered.
Bioswales are landscaped elements that are purposely sloped in order to trap silt and
pollution from runoff (see Figure 29) and should be introduced along Needham Street,
either in the proposed center median or as a buffer between the sidewalk and street. Street
intersections, especially potential new civic spaces, and parking lots could also incorporate
these remediation structures.
Generally, the use of impervious surfaces along Needham Street should be limited, and
replaced with alternatives whenever possible to improve infiltration and percolation.
Encouraging pervious surfaces can be incorporated into design guidelines, as discussed
under Objective 2.
Figure 28: Green corridors and water systems
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NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
A Vision for Needham Street
67
(Above) Examples of water remediation
strategies from Portland, Oregon.
(Left) Figure 29: Proposed water
remediation interventions
Create recreational corridor along
abandoned rail right-of-way
The abandoned rail right-of-way to the west of Needham Street should
be converted to a recreational corridor, creating a path for wildlife,
a connection to the Charles River and existing open spaces to the
southwest and northeast, and contributing to a regional recreational
network. By enhancing the connectivity between existing and proposed
corridors and patches, this action will improve the overall function of the
regional open space network.
However, it is important to consider the possibility that the rail right-ofway will be re-activated at some point in the future. As this is a long-term
68
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
Figure 30: Proposed ecological system and open space network
A VISION FOR NEEDHAM STREET
69
Charles
Figures 32:
Proposed integration
of ecological
and recreational
networks for the
brook, Charles River,
and rail corridor
Figure 31: Proposed recreation network
goal, the short- and medium-term creation of a recreational corridor could greatly benefit
area residents. This plan recommends that any interventions along the corridor retain
maximum flexibility for the long-term MBTA addition of a Green Line extension, while in
the meantime encouraging the use of the corridor for pedestrian and bicycle use. Any such
use ought to work with right-of-way boundaries and incorporate the right-of-way corridor
into the larger open space and ecological plans.
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NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
A VISION FOR NEEDHAM STREET
71
Objective 5: Promote
Connections among Parcels and
Within Neighborhoods
The central aims of this objective are to integrate the
proposed street network, open space system, and
connections between parcels in order to create a
more cohesive place. In a city that defines itself as a
collection of human-scaled village centers, Needham
Street is a place apart. Better integrating the corridor
with its surrounding communities will help to fulfill
the Comprehensive Plan’s call for “greater excellence
in place-making.” In order for Objectives 3 and 4
to succeed, the previously discussed improvements
to circulation and open space within the Needham
Street corridor must be complemented with increased
connectivity. Improved connectivity entails both
internal and external dimensions. Separate parcels
and land uses must become more accessible to one
another, while the entire corridor must become more
porous with respect to the residential communities
that surround it. Improved connectivity serves several
related purposes: greater pedestrian and bicycle
accessibility, shorter travel distances, enhanced
recreational opportunities, and ecological continuity.
These networks overlap and form an interconnected
system that will link the corridor to its surroundings.
While these interventions will help foster continuity
between the corridor and surrounding areas, there
is potential for increased traffic in nearby residential
areas, so impacts must be carefully monitored and
mitigated.
Recommendations
Reduce barriers and improve
connections among parcels
Significant physical and psychological barriers—
buildings, fences, parking lots, etc.—now limit
Needham Street’s connectivity with its surroundings
to an unnecessary degree. Rectifying those conditions
will have few drawbacks. This will become particularly
important as redevelopment promotes internal
circulation networks within large parcels, providing
new walkable districts.
Add an additional pedestrian
connection to Upper Falls
Currently Upper Falls is only connected to Needham
Street via Oak Street, an indirect route for much of the
community. This configuration forces people to drive
longer distances, contributing to traffic and ecological
problems while discouraging alternative modes of
movement to and from the corridor. The community
would benefit greatly from more direct access to the
commercial activities on Needham Street, which
exceed any retail concentration currently found
within Upper Falls itself. One option is to provide
a pedestrian connection between Upper Falls and
Needham Street through the recreational corridor
created in the abandoned rail right-of-way. Access to
the right-of-way could be created in strategic places
along the corridor.
Limiting new vehicular access roads to strategic points in the network in order to minimize
shortcuts through residential neighborhoods will strike a balance between connectivity and
residents’ priorities. More aggressive traffic calming techniques could also be implemented
to discourage large volumes of traffic from using the streets.
Target appropriate uses and scales adjacent to residential
neighborhoods
Beyond circulation, the objective of connecting Needham Street to its surroundings means
continuity of built form. The design guidelines proposed in prior objectives can establish this
by softening the contrast between single-family homes and larger retail stores. It is especially
important for new development to be sensitive to its surroundings, including the Upper
Falls and Newton Highlands neighborhoods. Development should be scaled to provide a
transition from higher intensity on the corridor to lower intensity at the edges. A less jarring
transition between uses and types within such short distance will reduce the perception of
Needham Street as fundamentally separate from the rest of Newton, and will create a more
natural transition between the commercial and residential areas.
Figure 33: Traffic routes via new neighborhood connections
To Newton Highlands
and Route 9
To Upper Falls
and Route 9
Needham Street’s high traffic volumes and congestion
mean that new outlets for that traffic could bring
an unwanted nuisance into previously quiet
neighborhoods. Improving external connectivity
will require careful management of vehicular access.
To Needham
and Route 128
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NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
A VISION FOR NEEDHAM STREET
73
5
CATALYST SITES:
TWO ACTION AREAS
To illustrate the new vision for what Needham
Street can become, and to provide the City with
inspiration for future development, concept plans
were developed for two key areas identified along
the corridor. These ‘catalyst’ sites are intended
to jump start redevelopment, providing the
opportunity for the tenets of this vision to manifest
themselves in the physical environment along
Needham Street and to facilitate future positive
change.
in this section
•
Northern catalyst site
•
Northern site by the numbers
•
Northern site: 5 objectives
•
Southern catalyst site
•
Southern site by the numbers
•
Southern site: 5 objectives
Several relevant factors were considered in selecting
these key sites, including changes in property
values over time; available or underused land;
historic architecture; location along the corridor
and transitions to surrounding neighborhoods;
and building typologies, configurations, and
façade treatments. The ultimate goal is to use new
development to complement and highlight existing
assets, while responding to current challenges.
Encompassing an approximately three-block area
surrounding the Needham Street and Rockland Street
intersection, the northern catalyst site exemplifies
how smaller-scale development changes can have
a significant impact on the overall character of a
place. This area was chosen for several reasons: the
adjacent large-scale residential and office complexes
currently offer active daytime and nighttime
constituencies and demand a consistently high level
of service and functionality in the northern part of
the corridor. A mix of small-scale retail and service
spaces complements these larger developments across
the street. Existing uses should be retained, but the
buildings and the overall physical environment
would benefit from incremental site and streetscape
improvements. Avalon Bay already provides area
residents with an attractive open space along the street
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NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
(Opposite) Figure 34:
Catalyst site attributes
catalyst sites
75
front, and tightly knit neighborhood fabrics on both
sides of the catalyst site call for increased attention to
appropriate transitions and connections.
The southern catalyst site comprises the large parcels
of land currently used by the Marshalls plaza and
the Northland development group, an area bounded
on the south by Oak Street and the railroad rightof-way to the west. The specific properties of this
site present unique opportunities and challenges
for intervention design. Much of the site area is
occupied by parking, which consumes valuable street
frontage and diminishes the interface between street
and site. Currently, flooding is a problem here due
to insufficient pervious surface; however, the site
formerly contained a pond and could potentially
incorporate alternative water remediation and
recreation strategies. One of the site’s most noticeable
assets is the historic Mill at the Charles building,
which anchors its southern edge. Land parcels
assembled and managed by the same owner present
a unique opportunity for large-scale redevelopment
to occur, while a minor patch of small-scale mixeduse historic buildings (at the corner of Oak Street
and the rail right-of-way) currently acts as a model
for a sensitive transition to the adjacent Upper Falls
neighborhood.
Northern Catalyst Site
This scenario redesigns several blocks located adjacent
to the Avalon Bay residential development and the
Crosspoint property (currently housing Trip Advisor,
among other tenants). It focuses mainly on smallerscale commercial development, with buildings that
front the street and parking areas subordinated to
the sides of buildings and to the middle of the block.
These buildings might be redeveloped to more
suitably house existing and future tenants. Behind
the commercial buildings lining Needham Street, this
scenario envisions residential townhouses lining the
other sides of these blocks and helping to ease the
transition into the adjacent residential neighborhood.
The catalyst site provides improved pedestrian
infrastructure, a connection to the abandoned rail
right-of-way and Upper Falls, and a central civic
space.
Two alternatives are presented for the parcel located
adjacent to both Avalon Bay and the Crosspoint
property. The first option provides a new road on the
west side of Needham Street, extending Rockland
Street across the railroad tracks and over to Elliot
Street in Upper Falls. This provides an important
connection to this neighborhood, and crosses
city property to the west of the railroad tracks. By
providing vehicular access to Needham Street, it
allows for greater access to shopping and amenities
on the corridor and allows certain local trips to
avoid travel on Needham Street itself. The second
option does not include this new road connection,
but instead provides a new pedestrian and bicycle
connection to Upper Falls in its place. This would
allow neighborhood residents to enter and make use
of this enhanced retail area without using a car. Each
option allows for a central civic space, albeit in slightly
different configurations, and includes a variety of
improvements to the physical environment.
Satellite image of northern catalyst site
Overall, the convergence of the aforementioned
circumstances presents a great opportunity for
Needham Street to receive short- and long-term
benefits from carefully considered and directed
growth. What follows is one possible interpretation
for what these sites could become and how they might
spearhead the transition to a more vibrant and livable
Needham Street.
(Top to bottom) Bird’s eye views
of corridor from north to south
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NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
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77
elliot
As envisioned here, the first alternative (including a new road) will add nearly 79,000 square
feet of building area, resulting in a total building area of 153,000 square feet throughout the
entire site (see Table 9). The proposed plan will be composed of 41% retail, 23% office, and
37% residential uses. Based on this development intensity, the revised parking requirements
call for a range of 250 to 438 required spaces, with the site plan providing 316.
st
Northern Site by the Numbers
Table 9: Proposed development at northern catalyst site
Alternative 1
Alternative 2
Existing Square Feet
74,300
74,300
Additional Square Feet
78,700
102,000
Total Square Feet
153,000
176,000
Retail
41%
39%
Office
23%
29%
Residential
37%
32%
250-438
297-514
Parking Spaces Provided
316
346
Site FAR (gross)
0.67
0.79
Required Parking
Columbia
Ave
The second alternative (with non-vehicular access to Upper Falls) will add more than
100,000 square feet of building area, bringing the site’s total to 176,000 square feet (see Table
9). Of this, 39% will be retail, 29% will be office, and the remaining 32% will be residential.
The plan provides 346 parking spaces, which is within the required range.
Addressing the Five Objectives
The five objectives that frame the new vision for Needham Street are reflected and referenced
throughout both configurations of the northern catalyst site concept plan. Thus, these two
alternative development scenarios can illustrate the power of the vision’s five objectives in
action.
Objective 1: Promote fine-grain mixed-use development
The proposed interventions call for full integration of vertical and horizontal mix of
uses. This includes first-floor retail space with offices—and potentially a small number of
residential units—on second stories. Horizontal integration with existing residential, office,
civic, and retail uses on neighboring parcels is encouraged. These uses will be complemented
by an array of new residential and civic spaces, in addition to the aforementioned verticallymixed commercial buildings.
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NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
Needham
St
Jaconnet St
Figure 35: Proposed plan for northern catalyst site (alternative 1)
Objective 2: Create a more cohesive
and attractive physical environment
The key to this objective is encouraging engagement
between the street and buildings. The plan recognizes
and is fully compatible with proposed changes to
the zoning code regarding parking. This includes
reducing parking requirements, increasing shared
parking, and subordinating the majority of parking to
the sides or rear of buildings while still maintaining
visibility through periodic sight line openings.
Buildings of slightly higher density than existing
uses should address the street with more uniform
setbacks, greater attention to architectural detail, and
increased interaction with the street as fostered by
large windows, transparent doors, and appropriate
sign placement and design.
catalyst sites
79
st
elliot
Columbia
Ave
Objective 4: Connect site to
surrounding ecological system and
open space network
Objective 5: Promote connections
among parcels and within
neighborhoods
In addition to making marked improvements in the
overall pedestrian circulation network, this concept
plan calls for a quality outdoor civic space to serve as
a central node for public activity and interaction in
the northern catalyst site. If the civic space is a green
space, it would contribute to the goal of increasing
patches along the corridor. The new open space is
also consistent with the new beneficial open space
requirement for larger developments in the amended
zoning code. Other smaller green areas throughout
the catalyst site further enhance the corridor’s green
spaces, providing pedestrian refuges, improving
aesthetics, and increasing the ratio of permeable to
impermeable surface covering the site to facilitate
stormwater management. A pedestrian and bicycle
path will connect the civic space and streetscape to the
rail right-of-way, providing a recreational alternative
to on-street circulation and improving connectivity
with the regional open space network.
In recognition of the needs and concerns of adjacent
neighborhoods, the plan proposes sensitive solutions
at the periphery of the site. Along the eastern
edge, small two-family townhouses will address
the residential fabric of Newton Highlands and
provide a buffered transition from Needham Street’s
busy commercial activities to a quieter residential
neighborhood. The western side of the catalyst site,
abutting the rail right-of-way, will provide a muchneeded connection, whether pedestrian or vehicular,
to Upper Falls. This physical link will traverse the cityowned land on the western side of the railroad tracks,
minimizing potential negative impacts from traffic or
construction on existing private residences.
Figure 37: Illustration of proposed plaza space in northern catalyst site
Needham
St
Jaconnet St
Figure 36: Proposed plan for northern catalyst site (alternative 2)
Objective 3: Create a safe, comfortable,
and efficient streetscape
The first step towards achieving this goal is to improve
sidewalk condition and definition, landscaping
(street trees and plantings), and pedestrian amenities
(seating, lighting, and crosswalks) along the length
of the corridor. Re-striping the road and increasing
signage will call attention to bikers using the marked
shoulder. Additionally, the parking plan significantly
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NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
reduces the number of curb cuts and eases in-site
traffic flow through designated one-way circulation
patterns. By coordinating parking lot ingress and
egress, in combination with curb cut reductions,
traffic slowdown can be partially mitigated. These
interventions will be complemented by a proposed
center median, which will be broken to allow
designated left turn opportunities at strategic parking
area entrances.
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81
Figure 38: Illustration of streetscape in northern catalyst site
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NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
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83
Southern Catalyst Site
Located on the southwest corner of the Needham
Street corridor, this site proposes a more significant
shift from existing uses than the northern site does.
As envisioned, the site would eventually comprise
retail, office, and residential uses in a substantially
different form than exists today. Rather than its
current large industrial footprints and expansive
areas dedicated to parking, the site could ultimately
be home to vertically-mixed office and retail
buildings, as well as residential townhouses, and
would feature an internal street network with both
on-street and structured parking. The aim is for
the site to be walkable and both pedestrian- and
Satellite image of the southern catalyst site
car-friendly. The proposal also features a public
event space and plaza, which could accommodate a
variety of activities, including outdoor events, dining,
recreational uses, and celebrations of the newly
reconceived Needham Street. The intensity of use on
the catalyst site would be highest at the Needham
Street edge, and would gradually transition to lower
intensity residential uses near the interface with the
rail right-of-way and Upper Falls.
The proposal envisions two major stages in
development: Phase I and Phase II. In Phase IA,
a new civic space will be built at the front of the
parking lot at the present-day Marshalls shopping
center. Behind this, two new buildings will frame the
open space and contain office and retail uses. In the northwest corner of the site, adjacent
to a new pedestrian connection to Upper Falls, a significant flood and stormwater retention
area will be created, serving to both restore a more natural landscape and allude to a pond
that existed on the site during Needham Street’s industrial heyday. Phase IB involves the
reprogramming or replacement of the current Marshalls building (with an additional story
of leasable space) and adds a third commercial building along a new road within the site that
connects with Tower Road (currently a dead end). Finally, Phase II brings more substantial
change to the site, with the removal of the underutilized industrial buildings, the addition of
internal circulation roads, more intense commercial development and new residential units.
The historic Mill at the Charles would be preserved, serving as an attractive site anchor, a
recognizable gateway into the new Needham Street corridor, and an inspiration for future
context-sensitive development.
Southern Site by the Numbers
As envisioned in this interpretation of the southern catalyst site, Phases IA and IB will add
approximately 90,000 square feet of building area to the Needham Street corridor, leading
to a total of 170,000 square feet across the site (see Table 10). Uses on the site will be evenly
split between retail and office, and the site will have an FAR of 0.64. Parking provision will be
430 spaces, well within the range required by the revised zoning code. Phase II will expand
upon the earlier phases, adding 426,000 square feet and bringing the site’s total building area
to 690,000 square feet. The site’s new FAR will be 0.82. The development will include 18%
retail, 43% office, and 38% residential uses. The number of parking spaces will increase to
1,211, the majority of which will be accommodated in structured parking.
Table 10: Proposed development at southern catalyst site
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NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
phase 1a+1b
phase ii
Existing Square Feet
80,000
264,000
Additional Square Feet
90,000
426,000
Total Square Feet
170,000
690,000
Retail
50%
18%
Office
50%
43%
Residential
0%
38%
Required Parking
340-595
979-1690
Parking Spaces Provided
430
1,211
Site FAR (gross)
0.64
0.82
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85
Addressing the Five Objectives
As with the northern catalyst site, the proposed plan
for the southern site reflects the five objectives of the
overall vision for an improved Needham Street. The
specific ways in which each stage of development
addresses these objectives are outlined below.
Phase IA + IB
Objective 1: Promote fine-grain,
mixed-use development
In the near term, new construction will be vertical
mixed-use, responding to market trends. As it now
stands, office and retail space reflect the growth
sectors proposed in the Comprehensive Plan. Retail
will be located on the first floor and office uses will
locate on upper floors. Although it does not exist
along the corridor today, residential use above retail
may be possible, but this decision will be within the
Figure 39: Phase IA of southern catalyst site proposal
discretion of the developer and subject to market
demand for such units.
Objective 2: Create a more cohesive
and attractive physical environment
Building footprints, as illustrated, should remain
within the 75’ - 100’ width range to support predicted
uses. The recommended site design builds on
existing dimensions between buildings, except that it
subordinates the bulk of the parking to the back of the
site. In addition, the plan proposes a civic space along
Needham Street for flexible programming. Retailers
will benefit from this space because it will serve as a
draw for the community. It is supported by a range
of shopping and services within relative proximity. A
small café or retail building and landscaping will be
positioned as a buffer on the edge abutting Needham
Street.
tower
rd
charlemont
Objective 3: Create a safe, comfortable,
and efficient streetscape
Even in Phase I, significant site improvements are
called upon to create a more walkable and safer
pedestrian environment, including reprogramming
the parking area to include clearly delineated walking
paths. The plaza provides a refuge and invites
pedestrians on Needham Street into the site, where
they might patronize local businesses, attend events,
or relax and enjoy the space.
st
Oa
k
st
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NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
Needham
The southern site should connect with the proposed
bike and pedestrian trail running along the rail rightof-way. This can also serve as a pedestrian connection
to Upper Falls via Mechanic Street. Also during the
first phase, a large flood and stormwater retention
area will be added to the natural end of the corridor’s
flood plain. This space will serve as both public
open space and an intermittent overflow pond for
stormwater. There is an opportunity to use bioswales
and water retention technologies at the junctions of
major pedestrian paths, such as the proposed civic
space. These permeable surfaces can simultaneously
St
Objective 4: Connect site to
surrounding ecological system and
open space network
Figure 40: Phase IB of southern catalyst site proposal
be decorative, functional for water management, and
protective as a delineation between pedestrian paths
and roadways.
Objective 5: Promote connections
among parcels and with
neighborhoods
The design proposes a connection to Upper Falls
across the proposed trail on the rail right-of-way. In
addition, it uses internal streets to connect Tower
Road with the new development. As mentioned
earlier, pedestrian paths will also link the site to the
Upper Falls neighborhood. Small-scale commercial
activity that is currently located near the corner of
Oak and Chestnut Streets will continue to operate,
helping to integrate the new project into the existing
scale of the neighborhood.
catalyst sites
87
PHASE II
Objective 1: Promote fine-grain mixeduse development
When appropriate, redevelopment of the larger
industrial buildings on site is proposed in order
to create a softer transition to the surrounding
neighborhood. In addition to a vertical mix of uses,
the plan calls for horizontal variety, with commercial
uses located toward Needham Street and residential
uses toward Upper Falls. The site can accommodate
larger building footprints, and thus the design calls
for larger footprint office buildings close to the Mill at
the Charles. The on-site density achieved through this
proposal necessitates structured parking to achieve
FAR and open space goals.
Objective 2: Create a more cohesive
and attractive physical environment
The plan proposes using similar planting, lighting, and
pedestrian strategies to extend Phase I retail into the
office and residential fabric. The aesthetic and material
character of the existing retail and office buildings
should be considered in order to maintain a visually
cohesive development.
Objective 3: Create a safe, comfortable,
and efficient streetscape
The plan proposes to continue on-street parking
along the edges of vertical mixed-use buildings and,
in some cases, residential uses. Structured parking
should be nested within commercial and office spaces,
wrapped by the building façade in order to minimize
the street frontage of the parking garage structure.
The additional development proposed in this phase
will likely result in additional trips along Needham
Street, though the site design should partially address
this by providing internal circulation and reducing
extraneous trips on the main corridor. Although the
timing and funding climate are uncertain, this phase
would be complemented by an increase in public
transit—either the potential Green Line rail extension
or additional bus service.
tower
rd
charlemont
st
Oa
k
st
Needham
St
Figure 41: Bird’s eye view of proposed plaza and civic space
Figure 42: Phase II of southern catalyst site proposal
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NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
Objective 4: Connect site to
surrounding ecological system and
open space network
Objective 5: Promote connections
among parcels and with
neighborhoods
The proposed design further develops the open space
and retention pond with additional amenities, such as
an athletic field and park to serve new residential uses.
The plan proposes additional interior streets,
connecting Needham Street with the internal block
and providing greater access. This phase also brings a
continuation of Tower Road to the rest of the site.
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89
Figure 43: Illustration of proposed plaza and civic space
Pedestrian connections allow residents to move between the site and Upper Falls in several
locations. Commercial activity that is currently taking place near the corner of Oak and
Chestnut Streets will continue to operate and will be slightly extended, incorporating
elements of existing building scales and styles into the new development.
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NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
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91
6
Summary of
Recommendations
Envisioning Needham Street offers many recommendations to achieve the five objectives
that compose the outlined vision. The following section summarizes the specific
recommendations made throughout this plan.
Zoning
•
Allow FAR of 1.0 by right, and 2.0 with a special permit. A density incentive of 1.5 byright FAR could be provided for the desired actions described above.
•
Revise front setbacks to include a minimum and maximum, with maximum setbacks
equal to 15’ in MU1 and 0’ in MU2. The maximum setbacks can be increased by the
reviewing body in order to allow for beneficial open space in front of a building.
•
Incorporate additional form-based aspects into the zoning code, including requiring
transparent windows, entrances, and signage facing Needham Street.
Parking
•
Modify parking requirements to reduce minimums and set maximums.
•
Limit parking frontage to 40% of lot frontage abutting Needham Street and do not allow
parking to be located between main buildings and Needham Street; instead, encourage
shared side and rear parking lots.
•
Allow transfers of parking among adjacent parcels.
Note: the following recommendations apply to both MU1 and MU2 unless specified.
Zones
•
Redraw the zones for MU1 and MU2 such that MU2 covers all of northern Needham
Street (both the east and west sides of the street north of Jaconnet Street), while MU1
covers all of southern Needham Street.
Land uses
•
Expand by-right uses in MU1 to include multi-family residential, mixed-use
developments and buildings, and uses currently allowed by right in the MU2 zone,
including retail, services, and restaurants.
•
Expand by-right uses in MU2 to include multifamily residential and mixed-use
developments and buildings.
•
Encourage complementary uses and building types adjacent to surrounding
neighborhoods.
Density and dimensional requirements
92
•
Reduce minimum lot area per dwelling unit to 1,200 square feet.
•
Limit building footprints to 40,000 square feet.
•
Allow maximum building height of 2 stories by right, and up to 4 stories with a special
permit. A height incentive of 3 stories by right could be provided for desired actions
such as mixed-use buildings and developments, shared parking lots, reduced curb cuts,
shared access, reduced peak hour trips, land dedication, and undergrounding utilities.
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
Open space
•
In parcels over 40,000 square feet, require that 20% of parcel area be dedicated as
“beneficial open space.”
Process
•
Revise the development review process to facilitate desired development, allowing for
different levels of review for different sized developments.
•
Develop design guidelines to aid the review process and improve the quality of the built
environment.
Transportation
Streetscape improvements
•
Widen and repave sidewalks where necessary.
•
Clearly define pedestrian rights-of-way when sidewalks cross parking lots.
•
Plant street trees along the sidewalks.
•
Encourage reduced curb cuts through zoning incentives and site plan review.
•
Install an intermittent center median to divide traffic lanes and rationalize left turns.
•
Install raised pedestrian crosswalks.
summary of recommendations
93
Marked transitions
•
Consider implementing a roundabout or traffic calming measures for the northern gateway to Needham
Street (intersection of Needham, Winchester, and Dedham Streets).
•
Straighten the intersection at the southern gateway to Needham Street (intersection of Needham, Oak, and
Christina streets).
•
Consider a small traffic circle, signaled intersection, or signage and landscaping changes to mark the
transition between the southern and northern sections of Needham Street.
Neighborhood connections
•
Create a new pedestrian connection from southern Needham Street to Upper Falls via the rail right-of-way.
•
Consider adding a vehicular or pedestrian connection from northern Needham Street to Elliot Street
through the city-owned parcel to the northwest of Needham Street.
Circulation within and among parcels
•
Reduce physical and psychological barriers that currently limit Needham Street’s connectivity with its
surroundings.
•
Encourage vehicular and pedestrian connections within and among parcels through design guidelines and
site plan review.
Local transportation
•
Encourage creation of a local transportation system, such as a shuttle service along Needham Street
connecting with nearby MBTA Green Line stations.
Open Space and Recreation
94
•
Increase the connectivity to the existing open space network.
•
Create a recreational corridor for bikes and pedestrians along the abandoned rail right-of-way; the corridor
can serve as a link between the Charles River and existing open spaces to the northeast and southwest.
•
Create and enhance open spaces; new open spaces should be located with consideration for wildlife
movements and natural ecology.
•
Integrate water management into streetscape and open spaces through bioswales, stormwater retention
ponds, and wetland areas.
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
summary of recommendations
95
7
IMPLEMENTATION
Realization of the new vision for the Needham
Street corridor will require the City of Newton
to undertake a series of coordinated actions in
the short and medium terms. The most critical
actions include establishing appropriate zoning
incentives to support fine-grain mixed-use
development and circulation plans; determining
and executing financing strategies for infrastructure
improvements; and initiating executive, legislative,
and community processes necessary to continue the
planning process.
in this section
•
Zoning incentives
•
Infrastructure finance
•
Undergrounding utilities
•
Mass transportation finance
•
Next steps
Zoning Incentives
Zoning incentives can be an effective way to
encourage developers and property owners to
cooperate with the City in implementing several
of the recommendations outlined in this plan. In
exchange for implementing the following actions,
developers could receive density bonuses in the form
of additional height limits (e.g., three stories by right)
and/or increased by-right FAR.
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NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
•
Mixed-use buildings and developments. To
promote the mixed-use character envisioned in
this plan, the City could offer an incentive for
buildings or developments that include at least
two of the following uses: retail and personal
services, residential, office, and/or restaurant,
such that the smallest use is at least 20% of the
development’s gross floor area.
•
Shared parking lots. Incentives could be provided
for developments that share parking lots with
adjacent properties.
IMPLEMENTATION
97
•
Reduced curb cuts and/or shared access
roads. Site plans that reduce curb cuts along
Needham Street or feature access roads shared
by neighboring properties, which would have the
effect of reducing curb cuts, would improve traffic
circulation and the pedestrian environment along
Needham Street and should be encouraged with
density bonuses.
•
Reduced peak hour trips. Incentives can
encourage developments that take steps to reduce
the estimated peak number of trips through
actions such as flexible work schedules or a mix
of uses that spread trips over different times of
the day. Reducing peak trips will improve traffic
circulation along Needham Street during the most
congested periods of the day.
•
Undergrounding utilities. Properties that pay for
undergrounding utility lines could receive density
bonuses.
•
Contribution to a transit service fund.
Developments that agree to pay for alternative
transit such as a shuttle service connecting
Needham Street to nearby MBTA Green Line
stations could be allotted higher densities.
Infrastructure Finance
This section discusses implementation strategies for
financing several potentially high-cost infrastructure
initiatives. Since state funding is available for design
and improvements to Needham Street surface
infrastructure (roads and sidewalks), this section
focuses instead on undergrounding utility lines, mass
transit, and local transit infrastructure. The following
discussion covers possible strategies and the benefits
and drawbacks of each.
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NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
Undergrounding Utilities
One proposed streetscape intervention, the
undergrounding of electric, telecom, and cable wires
along the Needham Street corridor, is very expensive.
An initial estimate prepared in 2006 by NStar for
the City of Newton pegs the approximate cost of
earthwork, installation, and removal of existing wires
at about $5 million. This figure could very well be
much higher considering inflation (though minimal
in recent years), the cost of insurance, and the cost of
traffic management during construction. Moreover,
the costs may increase in later stages as the City
and designers factor in the location of additional
subterranean infrastructure, and the associated costs
posed by such obstructions. Costs could also rise
based on geotechnical factors such as the presence of
ledge, which NStar estimates could increase costs by 10 to 20%. Moreover, there will be additional costs
associated with making underground connections to
individual properties, which can be borne by either
private property owners, the City, or a combination
of both. One large property owner on Needham
Street indicated that his company received a quote of
approximately $1 million for such a connection.
Though the costs of undergrounding utility wires are
high, the benefits to property values and economic
development could provide sufficient counterweight.
In determining how to pay for undergrounding
utilities, the City should consider the following
guidelines for assessing financing options.
•
Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 166: If
the City of Newton believes that the benefits
of undergrounding extend to the entire city,
then it may consider invoking Section M of
Massachusetts of General Law, Chapter 166. This
law would require utility companies to place
utility lines underground. Electric and phone
companies can recover their costs through a 2%
surcharge to all customers in the City (Section
22M), and cable companies can recover costs as
well.
•
•
Special assessment zones and tax increment
Financing: If the City of Newton believes
that the benefits of undergrounding wires are
sufficiently localized within the Needham Street
corridor, it might consider working with local
property owners to establish a special assessment
zone, whereby a surcharge could be added to
annual property taxes within the area over a
period of time to finance development. Tax
increment financing involves the securitizing
of expected future increases in property taxes
in a given geographic zone resulting from an
intervention. The downside of tax increment
financing is that it deprives a city of revenues
needed to provide other vital public services to
an ostensibly growing area. Discussion with local
property owners and detailed financial analyses
should be conducted prior to using any of these
mechanisms.
Developer incentives and contributions:
The City of Newton could also offer various
incentives, including the density incentives
discussed previously, to developers in return for a
contribution toward the undergrounding of utility
wires throughout the corridor. In the case of large
redevelopment projects, the owners may have
strong individual financial incentives to support
undergrounding of utilities in the corridor, as the
improvements may increase the value of their
properties. Therefore, the developer may see this
type of contribution as mutually beneficial.
The City of Newton can choose among the above
mechanisms to finance utility line undergrounding.
However, there must be a thorough analysis of the
distribution of costs and benefits that is based, at
least in part, on the benefit boundaries of such an
improvement.
Mass Transportation Finance
There are currently limited opportunities for
investment that would increase mass transportation
capacity in the short term. However, it is important
to continue discussions with appropriate federal and
state officials regarding long-term investments in
corridor mobility. Due to the long lead times on such
projects, it is never too early to begin positioning the
Needham Street corridor to receive such funding
opportunities.
Federal surface transportation programs are
authorized under the Safe, Accountable, Flexible,
Efficient Transportation Equity Act – A Legacy for
Users Act (SAFETEA-LU, Public Law 109-59), which
has expired but is operating under a temporary
continuing resolution. Most federal funding available
for investments in large transit infrastructure under
SAFETEA-LU derives from flexible use of FHWA
formula funds and competitive grant programs.
While the U.S. Congress could alter existing funding
programs when it reauthorizes federal highway and
transportation programs, SAFETEA-LU is the best
guide for federal funding opportunities in the present
and near future.
Table 11 describes federal programs for financing
mass transportation investments and services such
as the proposed MBTA Green Line extension to
Needham Junction, the acquisition of new buses,
and the subsidization of local transit services. The
table focuses on those programs most relevant to
the Needham Street corridor. It is also important
to acknowledge that many of these opportunities
must be coordinated in conjunction with the State of
Massachusetts and the Boston Metropolitan Planning
Organization transportation plans in order to be
eligible for funding.
SAFETEA-LU also authorized (or re-authorized)
a number of innovative financing mechanisms for
transportation infrastructure investment. Among
these programs are federal guarantees and direct
loans for public-private infrastructure development,
securitization of future federal funding streams to
finance large infrastructure projects, and a variety of
revolving fund programs. Table 12 briefly summarizes
major programs relevant to mass transportation.
IMPLEMENTATION
99
The State also has a number of transportation financing programs.
According to the 2007 findings of the Massachusetts Transportation
Finance Commission, Transportation Finance in Massachusetts: An
Unsustainable System, however, nearly all state-funded programs
are heavily underfunded and most rely on federal funds to help meet
budget gaps. Debt instruments used to support past construction largely
preclude the State from securitizing future revenue streams. The report
describes how funding distributed to fifteen regional transit agencies is
small compared to that of the MBTA, and how Massachusetts cities and
towns actually subsidize MBTA operations. Though the State has recently
reorganized transportation agencies and policies, it will likely be a long
time before substantial investmentss can be made with state funds for
new infrastructure.
Table 11: Federal transit funding opportunities under SAFETEA-LU
Given the competitive nature of federal grant funding and high levels of
debt in state transportation finance accounts, any expansion of transit
service within the Needham Street corridor may require creative private
or public-private efforts. For example, commercial property owners
and developers may want to encourage patrons and employees to use
alternative means of transportation to access sites on Needham Street. It
might be possible to build a coalition of property owners willing to help
finance a mini-bus operation running between destinations within the
Needham Street corridor and the Eliot or Newton Highlands stations of
the MBTA Green Line. Such a proposal should be explored, especially
alongside any large-scale redevelopment proposal within the Needham
Street corridor.
Elderly/Disabled Transit
(Section 5310)
Next Steps
Following detailed descriptions of the vision and specific
recommendations for implementation, this section turns to immediate
next steps. Tables 13 and 14 broadly outline immediate next steps to
begin the realization of this comprehensive vision for the Needham Street
corridor. Interventions are roughly grouped into two broad categories:
next steps for land use and development, and next steps for infrastructure
and public land improvements.
Highway programs
National Highway System
•
Formula grants to states based on lane-miles of roadway
•
Up to 50% of state funds can be transferred to transit programs
Federal-Aid Transit Programs
Capital Investment
Grants/Fixed Guideway
(Section 5309)
•
Capital investment grants for the New Starts, Small Starts and other
competitive grant programs
•
Funding for fixed guideway, rail, and bus modernization
Urbanized Area Grant
(Section 5310)
•
Grants for public transportation capital investment and services in areas
with populations fewer than 200,000 persons
•
Apportioned based on population, population density and other transit
demand metrics
•
Funding to support public transportation services for the elderly and
disabled
•
State formula funding
Job Access and Reverse
Commute (Section 5316)
•
Formula grant funding for local programs (urban and rural) offering job
access and reverse commute service to low-income individuals
New Freedom Program
(Section 5317)
•
Formula grant services for beyond the minimum required by the ADA for
persons with disabilities
Source: California Department of Transportation
Table 12: Federal alternative financing programs for transportation infrastructure
Federal Innovative Financing Programs
Transportation Infrastructure
Finance and Innovation Act
•
Provides credit assistance (loan guarantees, direct loans, and lines
of credit) to support financing of surface transportation projects of
national and regional significance
•
Must have a public sponsor and private partner
•
Covers all modes of transportation infrastructure
Grant Anticipation Revenue
Vehicles
•
Any of a variety of state debt instruments that securitizes future
anticipated funds from Title 23 (Highways) to fund up-front
construction costs for transportation facilities
State Infrastructure Banks
•
Authorizes states to set up revolving accounts backed by a portion
of federal highway and transit funds to finance capital projects
•
Massachusetts Legislature is currently considering legislation that
would create such a bank
Source: Federal Highway Administration
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NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
IMPLEMENTATION
101
Table 14: Infrastructure and public land improvement next steps
Contact
Topic
Purpose
MassDOT
Needham Street
Design and
Improvements
•
Request inclusion of the Needham Street corridor
vision plan for infrastructure/signaling improvements
as part of the Needham Street/Highland Street design
contractor scope-of-work
•
Secure any additional funding for street improvements
•
Request approval of any required bicycling plans
•
Initiate transfer of Needham Street right-of-way to
the City of Newton upon completion of roadway
improvements
Table 13: Land use development next steps
Contact
Topic
Purpose
City of Newton
Department of
Planning and
Development
Needham Street
Corridor Plan
•
Feedback and recommendations from City planning
staff
•
Development of additional studies, drawings, and
communication tools as needed to support submission
of formal recommendations to appropriate City
agencies, committees of the Board of Alderman and
citizen-legislative task forces
City of Newton
Board of Aldermen
Zoning Task Force
102
Comments and Public
Hearings
•
Comments and recommended changes to the
Needham Street corridor vision plans and
recommendations
•
Initiation of full Board and/or committee hearings
to begin public discussion of specific corridor policy
recommendations (land use and transportation) and
potential budget and legislative actions
Amendments to
Comprehensive Plan if
needed
•
Initiation of any amendments to the City of Newton
Comprehensive Plan to incorporate changes pursuant
to the Needham Street corridor vision plan and any
modifications thereof
Budgeting and
Administration
•
Initiation of legislative process for required changes to
local laws in order to implement the Needham Street
corridor vision plan
•
Coordinate with the City Executive Department on
consideration of budget and financing requirement to
implement the plan budgeting and administration
•
Request approval of proposed zoning changes to the
Needham Street corridor, pursuant to the Needham
Street corridor vision plan and any supplemental
documents submitted by City of Newton Planning and
Development staff
Zoning Changes
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
MBTA
Rail Right-of-Way
Easements
•
Request easements within and across the MBTA rail
right-of-way for roadway, bicycle, and pedestrian path
crossings, as well as underground infrastructure, public
space, and ecological improvements
Infrastructure
Providers, City
of Newton,
Businesses, and
Citizens
Undergrounding
Wires
•
Estimate of costs and benefits of undergrounding
electrical and telecommunications wires
•
Initiate discussion on options for funding improvements
(tax increment financing, special assessment financing,
public-private partnerships)
•
Engage NSTAR, Verizon, and Comcast as to the most
consumer-friendly method of implementation
•
Reach out to selected property owners with regard to
land transfers to facilitate infrastructure improvements,
including roadway improvements
•
Request easements as necessary for above and below
ground infrastructure improvements (e.g., bioswales)
Approval,
Programming, and
Financing
•
Comments and approval of the Mayor of Newton for
additional executive departmental action
•
Initiation of budget forecasting, planning,
programming, and financing process for proposed
improvements in coordination with the City of Newton
COO, CFO, Treasurer, and Comptroller
Feedback and
Recommendations
•
Comments and suggested modifications of road /
infrastructure improvement plans, including construction
traffic mitigation
•
Comments and suggested modifications of
underground infrastructure and stormwater
management plans (bioswales, floodplain plans, etc.)
Reprogramming of
Land
•
Request reprogramming of land within the DPW
storage facility properties on Elliot Street for a potential
new road right-of-way
City of Newton
Fire Department
Transfer of Land
•
Request transfer of property (if necessary) within the
City Fire Department’s property on Elliot Street to the
DPW for a road right-of-way
City of Newton
Parks and
Recreation
Feedback and
Recommendations
•
Comments and suggested modifications for plans for
open space and recreational improvements along the
MBTA right-of-way and rail spur
City of Newton
Fire and Police
Feedback and
Recommendations
•
Request feedback on City Fire and Police first
responder requirements during roadway improvements
Land Transfers and
Easements
City of Newton
Executive Office
City of Newton
Department of
Public Works
103
105
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Communicating with and learning from the various community
members, business owners, and public officials in the City of Newton
and the Needham Street corridor has been critical to the development
of this plan. We would like to thank all those who shared their time
and energy with us over the past twelve weeks. We hope that this
document helps the community better understand Needham Street’s
potential and provides useful tools and information in planning the
future of this important corridor.
Matt Cuddy, Newton Villages
Scott Dale, Avalon Bay
Arthur and Diane Dion
Lastly, thanks to Professor Terry Szold and Instructor
Annis Whitlow Sengupta for all their help and
valuable insight over the course of the project.
Henry Finch
Bryan Furze, Crosspoint Associates
Jacques Gagnon, H.C. Stark
Steve Gans, New England Mobile Book Fair, Mayor’s
Mixed Use Task Force
David Gillespie, Avalon Bay
Phil Herr
Special thanks to:
Danette Hill, Nolan Company
John Hueber, Crosspoint Associates
Jonathan Hueber, Crosspoint Associates
City of Newton
Stephen Kaufer, Trip Advisor
Setti D. Warren, Mayor of Newton
George Kirby, Newton Bicycle/Pedestrian Task Force
Newton Board of Aldermen: President Scott F. Lennon, Vice President
Cheryl Lappin, President Emeritus R. Lisle Baker, Clerk of the Board
David A Olson, Deb Crossley, John Freedman, Mitch Fischman, John
Rice, Brian Yates
Jim Lerner
Robert Rooney, Chief Operating Officer
Candace Havens, Interim Director of Planning and Development
Bill McLaughlin, Avalon Bay
Joe Morrison, Crosspoint Associates
Srdjan Nedeljkovic, Mayor’s Mixed Use Task Force
Amanda Stout, Senior Economic Development Planner
Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerce, Economic
Development Committee
Seth Zeren, Chief Zoning Code Official
John Nolan, Nolan Company
David Koses, Transportation Planning Coordinator
Michael Rudden
Mark and Susan Sangiolo
Community Members and Stakeholders
Neil Adatha
Devra Bailin, Town of Needham Economic Development Director
Janice Bourque, Crystal Lake Conservancy
James Carlin III, Crosspoint Associates
Scott Carpenter, McMahon Associates
Jeff Converse, Crosspoint Associates
106
NEEDHAM STREET CORRIDOR PLAN
John Sisson, Newton Villages
Peter Standish, Northland Investment Corporation
Chris Steele, CWS Consulting Group
Ted Tye, National Development
Rita Tyszka, Northland Investment Corporation
Bill Zankowski, H.C. Stark
Anatol Zukerman, NCARB
Acknowledgements
107
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D epartment of
U rban S tudies and
P lanning